Thread started: May 25 2008, 10:35 PM EDT
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One really useful strategy that I have used many times to force community into engagement with the very challenging ideas that unpin the new curriculum is the use of significant experts to build capacity. At Island Bay we have invited (and paid for) Dr John Edwards, Dr Jane Gilbert, Mary Chamberlain, Kath Murdoch to present to our community. The impact of these folk has been enormous in that they build a constituency for change after a 1 or 2 hour presentation. Building this within a community can often take years as parents and teachers grapple with the nostalgia held for their own schooling experiences as opposed to the unknown as represented by the future. I know in talking to parents that there is much appreciation for the investment the school has made in acquiring significant educators and future thinkers to illuminate the shift between the 20th and 21st century paradigms.
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RE: Snails Pace
By: Posted Anonymously,
Jun 26 2008, 7:15 PM EDT
The main impact for community has been their participation in focus groups. These groups function as an engine to make sense of the school direction and participate in contributing to it. My goal has been to grow a real understanding of the processes that reflect the paradigm shift. A practical example of this has been the elimination of the formal term 4 school report and the implementation of student led conferences and portfolios. It has been great to note the ease with which this has happened not least because of the time built in focus groups unpacking the paradigm shift.
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