2012 Educational Leadership Conference: Partnerships for Personalization

1. 2012 Educational Leadership Conference: Partnerships for Personalization Partnerships for Transforming Systems: Growing Innovation in Rural Sites of Learning Patricia Dooley Linda Farr Darling Terry Taylor November 16, 2012

2. Agenda and Timeline • Overview of the Growing Innovation in Rural Sites of Learning initiative • Video Exemplars and Stories • Facilitated dialogue and connections • Plans for the future: • Growing Innovation Diffusion Plan: Catalysts for Learning • Personal next steps

3. Beginning with the end in mind • As you listen to ourselves and others, you are invited to think about: • Connections to your own beliefs, research and/or initiatives in your classroom, school or district. • Questions • Potential applications to your setting.

4. Leadership for Growing Innovation:The Rural Education Advisory Committee The Rural Education Advisory Committee was established through the office of the Eleanor Rix Professor of Rural Teacher Education Purpose Statement: The Rural Advisory Committee is a structure established to focus and sustain conversations about rural education with a goal of enhancing educational experiences and opportunities for students attending rural schools.

5. The Context:Growing Innovation in Rural Sites of Learning • unique partnership between the University of Education, the Ministry of Education and educators in several rural school districts. • conceptualized in February, 2011, by members of the Rural Education Advisory Committee through the office of the Eleanor Rix Professor of Rural Teacher Education. • designed to celebrate and support some of the unique teaching practices across B.C. that are innovative and collaborative.

6. The Context:Growing Innovation in Rural Sites of Learning • Eighteen projects were funded during 2011-2012 • Leadership roles include: a) project leaders (mostly school based) b) site facilitators (mostly UBC graduate students) c) overall project facilitators d) Design Team

7. Year 1:A Template and Process for Success Project criteria established and met • Inquiry • Research links • Student outcomes articulated • Community engagement Expectations to build community established and met: • Elluminate sessions • Learning symposium (May 5, 2012) • Report, with stories • Artifacts for website (invitation)

8. The Promise of Growing Innovation • The key to system-wide success is to situate the energy of educators and students as the central driving force. This means aligning the goals of reform and the intrinsic motivation of participants. Intrinsic energy derives from doing something well that is important to you and to those with whom you are working. • Michael Fullan

9. Growing Innovation in Rural Sites of Learning: PART TWO: Concepts for Framing and Inquiring Linda Farr Darling

10. Looking closely at the ideas that framed the next steps • Rural classrooms & schools are often sites of imaginative, progressive pedagogy that is worth recognizing and celebrating • Grassroots innovations are most likely to take hold • It is possible and desirable to nurture innovative practices in schools with support, communication, collaboration and research • It is possible and desirable to sow the seeds for further innovation through dialogue, exchange, and examination of lessons learned

11. How did these guiding ideas shape the organization of Growing Innovation? • 1. Each project was recognized for its own merit AND as a part of the whole Growing Innovation initiative (design through assessment) • 2. Commitment to “Grassroots” meant teacher autonomy was evident in development, communication, and dissemination • 3. Commitment to support meant special roles for UBC in terms of research, site facilitation, presentation, publication and dialogue • 4. The organizing frame of thematic clusters meant connections and collaborations flourished across classrooms, schools and districts

12. Clusters • 1. Heritages and Cultures: local histories, geographies, traditions, and narratives • 2. Environment: rethinking relationships to the land, habitats, and ecologies • 3. Revitalizing schools and communities: imagining revitalization and growth • 4. Transforming student learning: engaging students through by rethinking curriculum & assessment

13. Overarching Themes • Place-Consciousness: seeing the global and the local • 2. Community Engagement: an antidote to “disembedding • 3. 21st Century Learning: Growing Innovation for students, teachers and communities

14. Catalysts for Learning: Growing Innovation in Rural Sites Growing Innovation @ www.ruralteachers.com Photo Gallery Resources Videos

15. Growing Innovation in Rural Sites of Learning: PART THREE: Two place-conscious learning projects and one synergistic connection Terry Taylor

16. 1. Digital Storytelling – SD 8: Digital Heritage Connect Four schools in the Slocan Valley partnered as they considered the values, history and stories of each of their communities: • Mt. Sentinel, Brent Kennedy, Winlaw, and W.E. Graham Schools connected students and heritage http://www.ruralteachers.com/gallery/gi-images/video-gallery

17. 2. Place-conscious learning in SD 10: Values of Doukhobor Community: Then and Now ABOUT THE PROJECT 3 Student FILMS • Students from Gr 5-12 engaged in understanding history, community, and culture of place. • “Exploring Values • of Doukhobor Community” • Borsht • A Long Way to Go • GunlessSons • Behind the Chain-Linked Fence

18. An Unexpected Synergy • Innovation and collaboration was fostered between districts, elders and youth. www.valuesofdoukhoborcommunity.wordpress.com

19. “How do we effectively diffuse sustainable innovation across rural contexts?” Nurture Purposeful Student Engagement Practice Place- Conscious Learning Engage Community Cultivate Collaborative Partnerships Embed Research & Inquiry Planning Principles

20. Processing and Transforming • a) What do we notice about connections to personalization, and effective use of partnerships, and student and community engagement? • b) What can we learn and connect with our own contexts? • c) What intoxicates our imagination?

21. Diffusion of Innovation • Meta – myth: The private sector is innovative, the public sector is not. but innovation in the public sector tends to stay locked on location – hence the focus on diffusion, and It is critical to have a diffusion strategy from the outset. David Albury, Director, Innovation Unit, UK

22. Planning for Learning:Design Forum (May 2012) • Creating Rural Sites of Learning as Catalysts for Further Innovation: Cultivating capacities, communicating across contexts, and preparing new ground for innovative practices • Our collective inquiry and potential research focus: How do we diffuse and grow sustainable innovation across rural contexts in British Columbia?

23. How do we diffuse & grow sustainable innovation across rural contexts in BC?

24. “How do we effectively diffuse sustainable innovation across rural contexts?” Nurture Purposeful Student Engagement Practice Place- Conscious Learning Engage Community Cultivate Collaborative Partnerships Embed Research & Inquiry Planning Principles

25. Year 2:Sustaining Momentum and Growing • Commitment to growth and sustainability by going deeper with learning and capitalizing on the university research mandate/expertise: a) Webinars (November, January, March or April, June) b) Research • Commitment to communication and dissemination of ideas in a variety of ways. Examples: a) Series of AdminFo articles b) Presentation at Kootenay-Boundary Chapter meeting c) Presentation at Educational Leadership Conference d) November 14 – rural superintendents and district staff invited to take part in structured conversation on system change.

26. Catalysts for Progressive Engagement: Growing Innovation

27. STRATEGIES FOR PROGRESSIVE ENGAGEMENT Catalyst for Learning Tool 1: GROWING INNOVATION PROJECT EXAMPLARS • Clickable/interactive map with personal stories and voices. • Rural web site with ideas

28. STRATEGIES FOR PROGRESSIVE ENGAGEMENT Catalyst for Learning Tool 2: WEBINARS (Webinars will run from 3:30 – 5:00 PST, maximum) • November 26, 2012 – Project Based Learning for Student Engagement in SD#59 (Peace River South) and SD#60 (Peace River North) • January 15, 2013 – Place Conscious Learning through Digital Story Telling in SD#8 (Kootenay Lake) and SD#10 (Arrow Lakes) • *January 17, 2013 - Nature Kindergarten in SD#62 (Sooke) • February 21, 2013 – Connected Classrooms and Collaboration without Boundaries in SD#74 (Gold Trail) and SD#85 (Vancouver Island North • March 5, 2013 – The Aboriginal Academy in SD#58 (Nicola-Similkameen) • April 11,2013 – Intergenerational Learning in SD#64 (Gulf Islands) *To be confirmed

29. STRATEGIES FOR PROGRESSIVE ENGAGEMENT Catalyst for Learning 3: Videos with interactive facilitator guide • SD#64 (Gulf Islands), #8 (Kootenay Lake) and #69 (Qualicum) • To follow: SD#85 (Port Hardy) – post by end of October and 2 more (end of November) • Potential for a 7th video on various examples of innovation

30. Potential Catalysts CATALYST FOR LEARNING - TOOL 4: LEARNING ROUNDS (FACE TO FACE AND VIRTUAL) CATALYST FOR LEARNING - TOOL 5: REGIONAL LEARNING SYMPOSIUMS

31. Future ENHANCE TEACHER EDUCATION PIECE AND UNIVERSITY ROLE: • engagement • social-emotional learning • critical thinking • social responsibility • rural practica partnership • focus on competencies

32. Descriptors: B.C. Ed Plan Descriptors and Growing Innovation 1) Personalized learning for every student 2) Quality teaching and learning 3) Flexibility and choice 4) High standards 5) Learning empowered by technology

33. “Growing” Innovation • We invite you to: a) visit www.ruralteachers.com b) share information re: webinars in your districts and take part if interested c) contact project leaders directly d) share other examples of innovation to broaden our community

34. Growing Innovation • Ticket out the door… • One thing you are taking away…. • One action you are thinking of taking….

35. Growing Innovation CONTACTS Pat Dooley (pat.dooley2010@gmail.com Linda Farr Darling (Linda.Darling@ubc.ca) Terry Taylor (ttaylor@sd10.bc.ca) ….