THE ANTI-AGENTIC LEARNER- Essay by Drew Pouniu

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yeZ_kqqQnCiQrsjlJmSiiK8ooZky4htETBmO1BXAZgM/edit?usp=sharing


In developing my teacher inquiry, the notion of Learner Agency has been on top for me. This essay records some of my ideas in regards to Agentic Learning.

Please comment and let me know you thoughts.

Thanks,

Drew Pouniu

STUDENT SURVEY- Term 1, 2016

LEADERSHIP STOCKTAKE- 14.03.2016

WHAT DOES WHAT PEOPLE SAY ABOUT MY LEADERSHIP ACTUALLY SAY ABOUT WHAT I THINK MY LEADERSHIP SAYS?!

I recently asked the team of teachers I lead what they thought about my LEADERSHIP.

The focus areas:

-Further develop my ability to coach other team members

-Focus on providing PD or leadership opportunities within the team / at team meetings

-Improve my organisation skills

-Increase my influence and motivation of team members

PRIORITY- change in leadership:

• It is clear that my team see my leadership organisational skills as a genuine concern. Therefore, I need to make this a high priority. Identifying what this is will be a first step.
• The second area that needs highlighting and changing is team development. I will work through a process to further enhance this.

***

These were the questions.

LEADERSHIP STOCKTAKE INSTRUCTIONS

Rate your leadership performance on each of the concepts outlined by putting a cross on the ‘spoke’ between 0 & 10. 0=weak & 10 =strong.

Ask your self-

How well does Drew support/ empower/ challenge/coach others?

How well does Drew provide feedback?

How well does Drew facilitate professional discussions?

How well does Drew encourage & enable collaboration?

How well does Drew develop my people as a team?

How effective is Drew’s organisational skills?

How well does Drew motivate others?

How focussed is Drew on student achievement?

The above pictures do not have the names of the Collaborative teachers I asked to fill in the form. Below is the table of the raw data. I have highlighted the the areas I wish to make a SHIFT IN MY LEADERSHIP PEDAGOGY AND PRACTICE.

***

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: 09.03.2016

MY HOMEWORK:

Google doc- instructions

Google drawing- leadership stocktake

Google doc- my notes

https://quantumshifting.wordpress.com/2012/02/17/leaderless-leaderfull/

Theme- future focussed.

Communities of Practice as “groups of people who share a concern or a passion for something they do and learn how to do it better as they interact regularly.” His model is applied in the area of social learning...

The BizDojo in Auckland, New Zealand is but one example of professional people coming together in a pragmatic way to share expertise, collaborate on one-off projects and create a fresh new business community. These knowledge workers know that rigid vertical hierarchies are not the best way to organise themselves. The strength comes from the power of their networks.
Everyone exercises some form of leadership, however the new paradigm of leadership is not about managing hierarchies, but about influencing, collaborating and relating.
http://www.bizdojo.com/why-we-do-it/

Essentially, what is BIZDOJO?!

The ethos behind BizDojo extends way beyond coworking spaces. It’s about creating networks and communities so that members are surrounded by all sorts of people and have access to diverse experiences, advice, introductions, and different perspectives.

______________________

How does my pedagogy about leadership impact the development of my collaboration?

Do I truly believe in collaboration?

Am I sharing the role as a leader in my collaboration?

What I know so far, I work alongside an experienced teacher whose practice I believe in. I know that her teaching style differs from my own. This compliments the way in which we collaborate. Co-T-K effectively relates to akonga on a personal level that encourages openess. Akonga willingly trust and take risks with her that they wouldn't always do when they work with me. By building in trust and empathy,  Co-T-K can move akonga and challenge them in a different way that I would. 

Challenging akonga is one of the many strategies I use to support them to become creative enquirers into their learning. I prompt learners with questions about why / how / what they are are learning. This is to encourage their metacognition. What is metacognition? Supporting akonga to understand their learning process, serves to strengthen and accelerate their learning. This is much the same for the ability to CHOOSE learning and learning spaces. A philosophy which underpins what my 3 Co-T's and I firmly believe in. 

This takes me nicely into the concept of OPTIONAL LEARNING TASKS. Allowing akonga to choose a task to fill a gap in their learning. 

***

Challenge is something my young newly knighted Jedi (once my young Padawan learner) is very strong at. We are so similar in our beliefs about metacognition and Flexible Learning Environments that sometimes I'm irritated. Not to a point of frustration in him but at my own inability to not perceive. Recently we revamped our approach to providing number knowledge maintenance. It had been my thinking that we take turns weekly, in making the individual tasks for each gap task. I grouped the learners into manageble groups, made 20 tasks for all the learners that had similar gaps. But as was pointed out to me, this is time consuming for a teacher (for which I challenged, as I think learners come first). I was not willing to see this challenge for what it really was. I kept saying:

"Just because it's hard work for a teacher, doesn't make it a reason not to do it"

"How does changing this model, benefit the outcomes for our akonga?"

"If we believe in akonga having the ability to choose their learning, what will this look like"

Some think a leader asking the questions is challenging enough. I believe, being humble in 'hearing' and 'believing' in a different perspective is where the strength of leader comes from. I knew as soon as Co-T-K and Co-T-N began scaffolding the process and describing the way forward, that the development of a new maintenance programme was a worthwhile endeavour. As much as I vocally espouse my beliefs about how teachers collaborate. It was in that moment that 'walking-the'talk' and allowing collaboration is the strength of a leader.

***

At the end of the day, we have a programme that works.

This is the result of my two Collaborative Teachers holding up the mirror and reminding me that COLLABORATION is about working with and leading with.

End rant. ;-)