SCD/Milestone Reports/Resources, Documentation and Downloads/Milestone 5 3 June 2012

4.1 Liaise with the National Facilitator assigned to this project
Warren has been actively involved in the cluster so far this year and was a significant help in the variation this time around. With his help we were able to continue to refine it so it met Ministry expectations. While a somewhat tortuous process, without Warren it would have been much worse. We have also used Warren's expertise in various cluster events this year, including the recent West Coast principals' event on Networked Schooling and the Tekapo Project retreat for teachers earlier this year. In the latter event he came in through google hangouts and participated in a panel discussion on Networked Schooling and in the former he spent the day with us and contributed his thoughts in ongoing group discussion with school principals. In both events his expertise was invaluable.

We have also found Warren's commuication excellent (does this sound like a school report Warren?!). He will just drop an informal line through skype or email and keeps in touch without being intrusive.

4.3. Reflections
The following link will take you to short slideshow reflection on what we think effective professional learning looks like.

http://portal.sliderocket.com/AQDNC/A91FD415-9E0F-4696-8A86-348A76800060

Our regional cluster project on blended learning was firmly built on the development of communities of practice to enable teacher professional learning. Our model largely avoided the concept of professional development workshops run by so-called experts where teachers sit and work through a set programme. We believe in the teaching as inquiry model as outlined in the New Zealand curriculum where teachers are seen as learners and researchers. This was enabled through a close parternship with the Unversity of Canterbury and Professor Niki Davis whereby our teachers were enrolled in tailor made courses that closely linked with our own goals. The goal of this wasn't to provide motivation for the participants, but to develop a process of certification and recognise that everyone would gain from a wider circle of expertise. The teachers' current course is very open ended, flexible and project based. They are choosing to work in an area interests them, but also receiving support in their learning from a mentor (in the form of Niki). She acts as a very effetcive critical friend.

We have also built all teacher learning on collaboration and the development of communities of practice. By definition a community of practice is a group of people with a common interest who work together to improve their knowledge. The whole group of teachers (around 30) acts as a very effective community in itself, but now groups have developed within groups as teachers align themselves based on common projects.

Lastly, we have taken a blended approach to professional learning. So much of what the teachers do is done online through various asynchronous (Moodle, Mahara and google docs) and synchronous tools (video conferencing, Skype, Google Hangouts), but we also recognise the importance of face to face opportunities as well. So every year we have two retreats for all teachers and we fund opportunities for the various groups of teachers to meet when it suits them.

We have found this model of professional learning extremely effective in enabling teacher learning. In the end that is the key thing for us - teachers are learners and are capable of developing expertise provided they have the right levels of support. Often this comes down to the provision of dedicated time.

4.4. Progress towards cluster goals
We continue to make progress towards our cluster goals and while challenges remain, the achievements of the regional cluster are significant so far.

The key goal of developing the capacity of the core group of teachers, both in their ability to develop strategies for effective blended learning and their willingness to lead change has continued to take priority. There is little doubt that the majority of this group of teachers continue to make progress in their adoption of effective strategies for blending learning. This is quite visible with the growth in the use of online class spaces (whether using Moodle or another tool), but also in the rapid adoption of ePortoflios with students. The latter seems to be an area of real interest and development across the country at the moment and the idea of learner centred spaces has real appeal for many of our teachers and schools

The involvement of a significant number of new teachers at the end of last year and the beginning of this has been heartening. As a result of intensive nature of the first year a small number of teachers dropped out of the University course and involvement in the project. Most of these schools failed to find a replacement, meaning they were only involved at a peripheral level. A growth in the numbers of teachers this year, means that the vast majority of our schools are involved as well. This has been an important development for the future sustainability of the regional cluster and the continued development of cohesive approaches to blended learning. We need our schools to share and work together on this in the future and it doens’t help when a few aren’t really involved.

What has been especially interesting is the growth of teacher leadership amongst the core group. A real sense of community has been developed over the course of last two years and the benefits of this are becoming very visible. Where once we (the official project leadership I suppose you would say) had to give a lot of direction, now the teachers take the initiative and direct themselves and each other. As has already been mentioned, they have organised themselves into focus groups and are actively collaborating on common goals. Our goal of getting teachers working together virtually, as well as face to face is now a reality as we see teachers who are now very comfortable working with others online. It reaffirms for us the power of teachers as leaders, but also the development of communities of practice for professional learning. Connecting teachers is a key driver of the regional cluster and should also be a key component in any approach to professional learning nationwide. It works exceptionally well as long as it is focused.

There are still challenges that continue to slow progress. While we have the backing of the majority of principals, actively engaging them in what is happening and the future of the regional cluster is a work in progress. We have laid the foundations in some think tanks for senior management, but this is an important year in seeing whether this will help in planning for the future. Once the funding has finished will principals be happy to just go back to what we were doing before? If not how do we continue to make progress on the key goals of the regional cluster without funding? Engaging principals in these questions and finding solutions is vital.

We also continue to have one or two teachers who end up on the periphery, because of workload or a lack of motivation / engagement. While this has improved markedly, it is still a frustration that we might lose someone at this late point in proceedings. Teachers being able to balance workload with the goals of the project is a real balancing act. Currently teachers are working on reviewing their schools’ and the cluster’s readiness for networked schooling / learning. Many are working in groups on this which helps manage the workload, but I know it is a constant strain on teachers who are often already overloaded. It is important that project management (us) keep in touch with teachers and help manage difficulties when they arise. 

Disbursement schedule
''This table should be used to account for the MoE funds only. You will need to separate out the MoE and cluster funding contributions from the budget figures in your contract''

Explanation of variance of predicted expenditure of the MoE funding

At this point we would expect, being 5/6 of the way through the project, and having transfered to the flat funding model to have expenditure of 83%. The costs outlined above total 79% and do not deviate far from that amount. The figures that are above 83% are relatively small sums - so they result in a higher percentage deviance.

Cluster Budget Contributions

Cluster contribution is in the form of facilitator funding - FTTE's. The clusters have contributed 0.75 FTTE  as in the original budget. Therefore there is no negative variance issues. The work of the facilitators in their roles as ePrincipals and as facilitators of the SCD project often difficult to tease apart. The clusters will have contributed more time to the project than was originally budgeted for.

When you have had your Milestone approved by your National Facilitator then you can submit it as per the instructions on page 1 of this template.