Secret Santa and the art of knowing

What a wonderful thing it is to be able to buy a gift for someone that tells that person they are understood.  And so it was this year as secret santa bought me a copy of 'The Spirit Level' by Richard Wilkinson and kate Pickett.  Big thanks to whoever the real santa was.

As the book explores issues of trust, health, social capital and much more related to inequality, it makes such sense that beyond fairly basic needs it's about time we looked in the mirror and were honest about what makes a healthy society.  I made a Christmas wish list the other day; cameras with more megapixels, faster lenses etc. The usual list. Then I took a peek in my camera bag and knew instantly that I already had enough kit to take good pictures.  The post purchase dissonance had already set in and I hadn't even had the pleasure of unwrapping anything.

Now the thought of making a donation to something like Toby Tanser's inspirational Shoe 4 Africa charity, and helping in some small way change lives and build the first children's hospital in Kenya; that already makes me happy.  As does donating to the Barnsley Youth Choir who help so many young people to find their voice.

Personal acts of giving, local or international; it all adds up and collectively builds trust and a climate of togetherness.  Here's to every project that works towards these ends in 2011

"Once a man be done with hunger, rich and poor are all as one" - Euripides, Electra (p3 The Spirit Level)

Oakfield House make praise pod part of school life

Congratulations to Oakfield House staff and students in setting up praise pod to support the positive culture that is so important to students.  Often it is these small schools that lead the way in the soft skills that every school, however large, need to get right.

True as it may be that smaller specialist schools have higher staffing ratios, it is also true to say that larger schools have a more mature ICT infrastructure. . . how many schools use their parent text systems to share positive achievements and not just absences?  In these times of austerity the challenge is to make better use of the tools we already have.

Architects of learning

A huge thank you to Sheffield University school of architecture's 'Voice group' for their amazing work with the peer mentors at Arbourthorne Community Primary School.
We spent six wonderful weeks learning together and connecting around the school's eight core values.  Some things are hard to put into words, but needless to say the legacy has only just begun to take shape.  One outcome has been a reminder of the amazing things that happen when students at various stages in their formal education collaborate as equal partners.
Click here for the project blog.

A time for creativity

Party politics aside, these are times when we need to work together to create a culture where potentially flawed ideas are encouraged.  We need the contribution of our oldest and wisest people alongside that of our youngest and least tainted members of society. And of everyone else in the continuum.
I'm yet to hear a child fail to offer an idea to solve today's problems on the grounds that it's not their problem; they didn't cause it. . .
And at the other end of the lifespan much the same is true, only with a very different perspective.
So let's make our schools the kind of places where honesty, respect, openness and a true sense of togetherness helps shape a better future.

Stairway to heaven

Nice idea from Newfield school in Sheffield.  Thanks you as you ascend through the lovely spaces of the new building.  Rachel Bridge referred last night to an entrepreneur who made a fortune from advertising on the back of toilet doors. . .  Great to see positive messages occupying valuable real estate in our schools.

Shine without polish

So after promising to upload young people's work onto the Shine 2010 website and get involved in celebrating the talents of our children, I receive a message today notifying me that the DfE has withdrawn funding so no website, no upload, and no home access for parents to see their child's work.

Which begs the question, How to shine without polish?  I guess we've all got used to 'free' web-based services and organisations supporting our work through gov't funding.  But times have changed.  One day there's a site to upload to; the next day it's gone.

I try to be optimistic and look for the positive in most situations, and am reminded of the old 'necessity is the mother of all invention' line.  Sounds good but many inventions come out of expensive R & D labs, so there might be a rose tint to that one. . .

Nevertheless, there could be some potential here for a real change in behaviour where at last young people are encourage to become creators not only of content but of the hosting technology itself.  The drive to shine a finished product can overcome the absence of on off-the-shelf solution.  By experimenting and asking around we can generally find the key components and move from dependent consumer to empowered producer/hoster.

Back to basics

Here's Mr. Gelsthorpe stood by the lovely praise pod at Marlcliffe Primary School.  The space theme was chosen by pupils, animated letters on wire the idea of a wonderful teaching assistant, and all-in-all a brilliant team effort.

And this in a week when I hear of governors elsewhere saying 'We have enough praise already in school' in response to a new praise initiative. . . makes me wonder why we bother to commission reports such as Lord Elton's and Sir Alan Steer. For the last ten years the consistent message is one of a 5:1 ratio of praise and rewards to sanctions.

Sometimes words fail me, and I have to look to other references to remind myself of the basics. Invariably these references come from early relationships:

Take a look at an infant held in their parent's arms and count how many positive words of praise and encouragement are spoken. . . probably dozens in a very short space of time.  Now try telling this parent that they need to curb their instinct and see their reaction; "I think you've told your baby they are beautiful too many times now. You need to stop."

And if it doesn't feel good to praise children? I guess that's a whole new post.

Behaviour change lag

Okay, so who's been looking at these pictures and thought something along the lines of,
"Oh yeh, just wait till the first real test. Then we'll see if they can get on so well. . . "

And isn't this so often our reaction when a child manages to change their ways. Many sceptics just sit back and wait for 'The real Johnny' to re-emerge, and then smugly tell you, "See. Told you it wouldn't last!"

Seems getting on is the new falling out.  Where will all this end up I wonder?

Dedication and then some

Now the dust has settled after Manchester's TSL Education North exhibition I'm reflecting back to the Saturday in particular when so many teachers, students and parents took it upon themselves, in their own time, to find new resources and ideas to make school that bit more engaging and exciting for pupils.

This level of dedication really should be recognised:  it's hard to imagine another profession filling such a massive exhibition hall on a Saturday simply out of the love for the job, and the desire to make a difference.  We had some lovely conversations with visitors to the Praise Pod stand about the importance of recognising achievements, and not only for pupils. . .

Core Values for politics

Having spent a lot of time this week in conversations with teachers about core values it seems timely to consider the political process.  If the house of commons had a praise pod, (and why not) what would both sides of the house agree as keywords?

"I've been sent to the praise pod for listening carefully and keeping my ballot papers still until the speaker had finished."

So as schools work hard to encourage teamwork, sharing, co-operation and thinking about others through tons of labelled praise, what do we see in the house of commons. . . belittling of others' ideas, put-downs, insults, fault finding, and an endless and senseless focus on criticising opponents for no other reason than they are 'the opposition'

So here's a thought:  let's give a school council the chair in a parliamentary debate, and set up some positive behaviour rules for both sides.  Then let's see how much more creativity and problem-solving results.

Seems the principle of modeling needs revisiting.  Anyone who works with children knows that without leading by example our words are meaningless.

Cross phase work

Lovely to see pictures of Upper Shirley High students painting the praise pod backdrop for one of their feeder schools.  USH's vertical tutor groups make this kind of activity so natural. . . why wouldn't you take care of younger pupils and help them look forward to what's going on at secondary school once you think of them as part of your family?

Here's to a time when 'transition work' is a concept from the olden days when schools were separate and did stuff to try to soften the edges.  We have the tools now (and have always had the will) to move from transition to true togetherness.

I'm yet to meet a family that has separate sittings at tea-time based on their children's age. . .

Common Values

What a wonderful morning at Arbourthorne Community Primary School.  A group of staff from Sheffield primary schools chatting on-line with professor Stephen Heppell, finding common themes by sharing a global and local perspective, all topped off with a pupil speaking proudly about his maths work.

And was the young man in question phased by being live on videoconference?  Far from it- he was quite ok with the whole thing and soon get into the content.  The most lasting impression from this encounter was Stephen's model yacht.  Which is what technology is all about: not getting in the way, but simply being there in the background to help people communicate:

Connection is about widening horizons and helping people see new possibilities.  We're a long way from the sea here in Sheffield, but dare to dream and you can go anywhere.  Did the sight of Stephen's model yacht spark an interest in sailing for life?  Maybe, be even if not, that isn't the point.  It has to be everyone's responsibility to give hope, confidence and encouragement to our children to dream big and wide and far.  After all, it's our children's solutions to the problems that we don't yet know about that hold the key to OUR futures. . .

Digital Divide

Postcode lottery is only the start of it. If we really are citizens of the world then let's do something each and every day to bridge a divide by forgoing wants for others' needs. £500 builds a whole school library in Namibia.

Food for thought. And with that thought come ideas and solutions to build from.
We are one planet, and it's only as one planet that we can create a better future.

Translation+

Is the learning in the meaning, or the meaning in the learning?
As Hucklow Primary gear up to go live they have translated the school's positive values into some of the languages spoken in school. Here's the Urdu version.

And here's the interesting thing; as we start to discuss whether the Urdu translation has EXACTLY the same meaning as the english words we start to uncover hidden meaning, and hidden clues. 'Keeping Calm' translates more like 'keeping yourself in one part (not falling apart). With all the languages in the world, is there, I wonder a word that means EXACTLY the opposite of 'Bully'?

And if there is, then let's start spotting that behaviour and using the word.

All together

I've just finished reading Malcolm Gladwell's 'Outliers'. The penultimate chapter shines a light on the importance of all year round learning. This means a 52 week calendar and active support for all children through those long periods out of school.

Gladwell cites test scores which show low income household children actually outperform their high income peers IN TERM but when the vacation comes they fall far behind. No more comfy academic years for school advisors and local authority consultants if we mean business. . . check out this link: http://www.gladwell.com/outliers/index.html

What became clear reading Outliers is the importance of someone having belief in you as a young person, and in them gently offering you experiences to develop abilities in subtle ways (such as the ability to express your needs in front of your GP) If only every child were afforded such a start in life. And that is exactly what Gladwell says is possible.