From Rock-Bottom to Sky-High: Leading with Vision and Compassion

Headteacher Chris Dyson took on one of the toughest schools around—one that no one else would touch. And he found that, like with most children, the students were all capable of doing well, but they needed ways to connect with education that were fun, rewarding and which truly addressed their wellbeing. Once a centre of chaos that had 150 exclusions a year, Parklands Primary School now boasts some of the best maths scores in the country and is oversubscribed because of its great reputation.

When I applied for the role of headteacher at Parklands Primary School in South East Leeds, I was faced with the great challenge of turning around a school which had seen five headteachers come and go within the previous two years. Despite only being a deputy head, since no other teachers applied for the role, I was appointed to the position in 2015.

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      string(5661) "The promise of rain rides on the breeze that is blowing the autumn leaves into the gutters of Ingerslev Boulevard in central Aarhus, just beyond the brick façade of Frederiksbjerg School. A steady stream of young students run into the heaps to gather brittle handfuls of leaves, with the evidence of previous salvos still tangled in their hair. As they chase one another through the school’s multi-tiered playground, they traverse spheres of age and activity: Early teens in a spirited game of basketball, grade schoolers chanting along to a jump rope routine, six-year-olds inspecting the ground for noteworthy bugs. Under a cool gray sky, the clamour of play announces the school from several blocks away.The Frederiksbjerg School is perhaps the only school to have had a multifunctional Ninja Track included in its blueprints. Its design reflects an educational approach emphasising physical activity: 15,000 m2 (161,500 square feet) of interior spaces and outdoor playgrounds offer students 100 different ways to move throughout their day. The average trip between classrooms takes students up climbing walls, through Twister grids and down dual-lane sprinting tracks. A collaborative design between school administrators, Aarhus city officials and Copenhagen architecture firm Henning Larsen, Frederiksbjerg School is an experiment in education:Educational policy and physical design work in tandem to explore a more mobile, accommodating model for learning. Daily schedules and classroom layouts support a curriculum rooted in mobility, giving the school’s 960 students a greater role in determining how they learn. Here, physical form manifests pedagogical philosophy; a new approach toward creating healthier learning spaces. Movement is in the building’s DNA.Creating space for movementGathered for a morning meeting in a classroom of Frederiksbjerg School’s elementary wing, 25 pupils sit where they please. Some line up in orderly rows on stepped benches, some curl up in the classroom’s chairs. A class period lasts no more than 15 minutes, nearing the maximum time limit students can concentrate while sitting stationary. Curriculum prompts students to migrate between the communal blackboard, collaborative work tables and quiet rooms for individual study, running through a classroom purpose-built to subvert the static rows of the traditional classroom. Jette Bjørn Hansen, principal at Frederiksbjerg School, says that dismantling a stationary classroom model is a learning experience for students and teachers alike.“In a way, it’s a paradigm shift. We’re moving away from the old school model, where the teacher stands at the front and runs everything,” Hansen says. “This new structure trains the students’ independence—they know that they’re meeting back together after 20 minutes of group work, so even the younger students learn to look at the clock and keep track of their time.”Hansen serves as principal in the space she helped create. She was part of the project group that developed a pedagogical vision to guide the construction of the new Frederiksbjerg School, opened in 2016 as a replacement for the aging Sct. Annagade School. Together with other leading school administrators, city officials and input from over 50 faculty members from the old school, the project group proposed a school whose physical form allows students to engage with learning spaces on their own terms. More energy burned outside of class means less energy fuelling restless students during lectures, and versatile interior spaces allow students greater range to find their best space for learning. For Hansen, the pedagogical philosophy supporting this vision is a mix of substantiating research and common sense.“If you sit still for too long, your brain will fall asleep. It’s like a light that switches off,” Hansen says. “Moving your body is the best way to keep your brain awake – Students are better learners when they stay active, and they tend to be happier about learning.”Hansen is one of few within Frederiksbjerg School who enjoys the privilege of wearing shoes. Students’ outside shoes, boots and mobile phones are prohibited; to be stored in personal lockers throughout the day. The 960 pairs of stocking feet illustrate the way that ongoing school policy enables the fullest realisation of the school’s initial vision. Students need not pause to unlace boots before scaling the ground floor climbing wall, and can freely crawl into classrooms’ recessed windowsills without tracking dirt on the walls. Philosophy informs policy, and policy supports philosophy. The no shoes rule allows students to best engage with the school’s philosophy of motion – and, Hansen believes, acts as a social equaliser.“We saw that when the students don’t use shoes indoors, they are friendlier with one another. When you don’t get to be a tough guy in big boots or a special girl in high heels, everybody is more equal,” Hansen says.Balancing work and playA sunlit central atrium forms the nucleus of the Frederiksbjerg School’s daily activity. 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Learning Spaces

Learning in Motion

13 Mar 2020

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      string(5650) "These children were inthe same boat as the Harriet Tubman Charter School and had the same ambition tobe as successful. However, I personally would hate to be at somewhere as strict andauthoritarian.“To see a line of people queuing outside of a building waiting to be given a foodparcel was rather upsetting. To see so many people were that desperate as well andjust not being able to find the help they need is depressing to think about. However,being just a few blocks down the nearest avenue and you were in thriving, prosperousManhattan again was difficult to comprehend at first; the contrast in such a shortdistance was immense. Also when somebody told us that most people in America areonly two pay cheques away from homelessness is such I weird thing to think aboutwhen you think that America is one of the richest countries in the world.“The visit has significantly changed my view on life. Back in the United KingdomI’m much more appreciative of our education and healthcare systems now I have seenwhat somewhere without one is like, and all of the underprivileged people it doesn’tsupport.”15www.teachingtimes.com n Vol 2.4Leading LearningCurriculum Innovationdistance to the Yorkville Common Pantry on109th Street, urban blight and desperation areobvious. Only 15 minutes previously the DACAstudents had been in central Manhattan amongsome of the most luxurious shops and expensiveapartment buildings in the world. The collision of these twodisparate worlds visibly affected a number of students. Thiswas an important lesson, challenging their perceptions ofthe US as a solely affluent country. Darwen isn’t an affluenttown and the students are by no means privileged – but theyrealised that they have many more opportunities in life thanthe residents of South Harlem. After a day volunteering inthe YCP, their discussion that evening clearly demonstratedthat several of the students intended to stop taking theseopportunities for granted.The DACA students also learned first hand about thebenefits of entrepreneurship and social enterprise, andthe huge difference it can make to an area. The studentsvisited the Greyston Bakery in Yonkers where they wereincredibly inspired by the business development managerAriel Hauptman. The bakery was founded in 1982 by BernardTetsugen Glassman, a former aerospace engineer with anentrepreneurial spirit and a bold vision – to produce quality,locally made products that would give the employees asustainable, satisfying livelihood.Ariel clearly and graphically explained the notion of a‘double bottom line’ for the bakery. As well as operatingprofitably, the bakery reinvests its profits into its communityin the form of childcare schemes, high-quality low-renthousing projects, adult education and work trainingschemes. The bakery’s slogan is ‘we don’t hire people tobake brownies, we bake brownies to hire people’.Seeing the brownies being made and getting totaste them, as well as listening to Ariel, made it allconnect. Suddenly there was a collective moment ofinspiration as every student grasped the concept of socialentrepreneurship. Looking after the workers and communityLauren Berresford, aged 16, studying A-levels in art, photography, biology andmedia studies“They say in the music videos we’re exposed to every day that anybody can make it in America but that just isn’t the case. You can seethe homeless people on the streets wrapped in newspaper to insulate them from the biting cold and I saw a man taking a can out ofa trash can and drinking it. The visit made me think a lot more about home and how people in the United Kingdom have a lot morechances and opportunities.“The homeless people at the Yorkville Common Pantry were so appreciative just to get bagels and cabbage. You get homelesspeople in Darwen but we just don’t see it as much as we did in New York. It was a brilliant homeless project that we visited and to beable to do it all again would be an honour. All in all I very much enjoyed the experience of New York City and have taken a lot away frombeing able to go.”16 Vol 2.4 n www.teachingtimes.comLeading Learning Curriculum Innovationis just as desirable and achievable as making a profit. Thebusiness is a means of social and economic regeneration. Itwas very inspiring and really help our students understanda very different business model in a way that couldn’t havebeen achieved in the classroom.Bringing it all back homeSo which aspects of the New York schools we visited couldbe replicated in the UK? I don’t think you can transfer ateaching style lock stock and barrel to another countrywithout adapting it to the nuances of that nation’s culture.There were aspects of discipline at the KIPP school whichI didn’t think would work here. 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Leadership

Free schools in action – USA style

11 Oct 2010

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      string(364) "... H., & Maslin-Ostrowski, P. (2004). The Wounded Leader and Emotional Learning in the Schoolhouse. School Leadership & Management, 24(3), 311-328.2)Dattel, L. (2019). High School Rankings: the Leading Network, and the one Dragging Behind. Israel: TheMarker.3)Goodwin, R., Cunningham, M., & Eagle, T. (2005). The Changing Role of ..."
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      string(3564) "to pedagogy, psychology, politics and legalities. They are broken down to steps so that each is analysed in a methodical way, weighing various options’ costs and benefits, with each step adding an extra layer of difficulty. Along the way principals acquire new knowledge directly related to the incident at-hand, and they practice effective decision-making, often under time constraints or in the face of political pressures. Once completed, the session includes a debrief, during which they reflect on the whole process, identifying strengths and areas to be improved. Noteworthy elementsThere are two especially noteworthy elements that are emphasized during the case study experience. First, full immersion. Expert facilitators are brought in to build and set the stage, assigning specific roles to principals and asking them to act out the situation, understanding there is no substitute for first-hand experience. Second, a peer learning community is stressed above all. The facilitator’s approach assumes the most valuable expertise is found amongst the community of principals, encouraging them to draw on their own unique experiences to share insights on the particular challenge at hand. This collaborative approach is an opportunity to practice the kind of team dynamics principals rely on in their school, and equally important, it has a therapeutic effect on them. Leadership life requires a degree of isolation and involves substantial strain, which can lead to loneliness and feelings of burnout. When they emotionally invest themselves in scenarios that connect them to the challenges they face, and share their experience in a collaborative way with peers who can relate, they know they are not alone 1. Therefore these case studies not only sharpen principals’ relevant skills, they build a much needed support network. Conclusion     Decades of studies reinforce the fact that the quality of principals very strongly influences school performance. Darca’s ability to transform dozens of failing schools in Israel’s underserved communities, which largely rests on the strength of its leadership empowerment, further affirms these studies. Principals who receive relevant training, are focused, cultivate partnerships, and are encouraged to dream big, build the foundations for excellence. They in turn inspire educational staff to perform at their optimal level, with students as the ultimate beneficiaries, immersed into supportive learning environments that engage them in and out of the classroom.Dr. Gil Pereg is the founding CEO of Darca Schools and previously served as principal of two prominent high schools in Israel. He has a doctorate from Northeastern University, completing his thesis on effective practices of successful principals in Israeli High Schools. Bibliography1)Ackerman, R. H., & Maslin-Ostrowski, P. (2004). The Wounded Leader and Emotional Learning in the Schoolhouse. School Leadership & Management, 24(3), 311-328.2)Dattel, L. (2019). High School Rankings: the Leading Network, and the one Dragging Behind. Israel: TheMarker.3)Goodwin, R., Cunningham, M., & Eagle, T. (2005). The Changing Role of the Secondary Administration & History, 37(1), 1–17.4)Itzhaki, L (2017). The First Year as School Principal: The Overwhelming Task and its Ramifications. Beer Sheba, Israel: Ben-Gurion University.5) Pereg, G. (2011). The Makings of a Successful Principal: A Phenomenological Research Study. Boston, Massachusetts: Northeastern University."
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Executive Leadership

Four Key Strategies That Have Helped Principals Transform Their Schools.

17 Jan 2021

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      string(5643) "This month’s New ProductsBenQ Short-throwprojector MS612STBenQ has prepared a selectionof  short-throw projectorsdesigned for better classroommanagement.Designed with a specialaspherical lens precisely calculatedand positioned to give you large-screen projection in tight spaces,the BenQ short-throw projectormodels only need half  the projectiondistance of  traditional projectorsto project a 55” full-sized diagonalimage – without jeopardizing thepicture quality.With the projector placed in frontof  the class and well out of  students’way, teachers can teach worry-freeof  shadow disruptions. What’s more,short-throw technology means no eye-blinding projector glare in teachers’eyes.The BenQMS612ST features2500 ANSI lumenhigh brightness,5000:1 high contrastratio, HDMI and 10Wbuilt-in speaker. Thisshort-throw projectorgives you a 55” bigpicture in only 1meter.With 3D picturepresentation much in demand, BenQhas included the combination ofindustry-leading 3D technologies– DLP® Link™ and NVIDIA®3D Vision™ – turning any flatsurface into the perfect stage for 3Dpicture performance with the BenQMS612ST.Other features include:BenQ has also announced two newinteractive whiteboard projectors thatutilize BenQ’s latest SmartEco technology:the MX850UST and MW851USToffering 0.4:1 throw-ratio. The launch ofthese new projectors means BenQ is nowoffering a full range of short-throw rangesto fit any classroom size and need.Ultra–short distance of  1 meterwith a 55” full-sized projectionImproved class participation andteacher-student interactionZero eye blinding lights, shadowdistortions and space constraintsIdeal for small and medium–sizedclassroom settings■■■■http://www.teachingtimes.comThis month’s New ProductsAAXA L1 Laser Pico ProjectorIn case you have any safety concerns,note that the L1 is a Class 1 laser device,which basically translates to beingconsidered safe, although you obviouslyshouldn’t stare directly into the beam!The L1 is about the size andshape of  a candy-bar cell phone. It’sa compact 0.8 by 2.1 by 4.2 inches(HWD) and even looks a little like acell phone. It offers a set of  9 controlbuttons in a tic-tac-toe layout, justwhere you would expect to finda phone keypad if  the top of  theprojector were the front of  a phone.The rest of  the projector is a flatblack, with the shiny top set off  bysilver trim. The front is defined by awindow—not a lens, since no focusingis necessary. Along one side are apower connector, a proprietary inputconnector, and a standard USB portfor a USB memory key. The otherside offers a miniplug stereo output.Also worth mention are the rubberfeet on the bottom of  the case, whichhelp keep the projector from slidingaround from minor tugs on a cable.The L1 measures 1.7 by 3.3 by5.75 inches and is light enough tocarry in a shirt pocket. The caseincludes cutouts for both the projectorand the 2GB USB key that comeswith it. It doesn’t have room for thepower block, but carrying it separatelyisn’t much of  an issue. It measures just1.4 by 1.9 by 2.5 inches, not includingthe prongs.Using the L1 is straightforward.Plug in a USB key or the appropriatecable, turn the projector on, point theprojector at whatever you want to usefor a screen, and then use the menusto choose the source.The L1 comes with a 4-foot cableto connect to its proprietary port onone end and a computer VGA port onthe other. If  you’re using a USB key,it can read an assortment of  file types.The full list includes music (MP3,MP2, WAV, and OGG), video (AVI,ADF, WMV, MPG), image (BMP, JPG,PNG, and GIF), and document files(PDF and Microsoft Office 2003 and2007 formats for Word, PowerPoint,and Excel).600) resolution. The laser lightsource makes it focus free, andyou can point the projector atany surface at any distance– even a curved surface – and theimage will be in focus.The AAXA L1 Laser PicoProjector offers pico projectortechnology, combining red,green, and blue lasers withan LCOS chip, which givesthe L1 a native SVGA (800 by http://www.teachingtimes.comThis month’s New ProductsMotorola Xoom tabletThe Motorola Xoom Androidtablet has a 10.1-inch screen,and it’s as bright and sharp asany other high-end tablet. The1280×800 screen is pretty closeto a standard widescreen aspectratio, so videos can fill the wholescreen with minimal clipping.The Xoom is a little bit shorterthan the iPad in landscape mode, butthat means that when you flip theXoom to portrait mode, the screenis skinnier and taller. This is actuallyperfect for reading books or scrollingdown web pages. It’s comfortable tohold the Xoom with one hand whileyou swipe with the other, and becausethe vertical page is so tall, there’s lessswiping than on smaller screens.The Xoom has two cameras: Afront-facing, 2-megapixel camera ismeant for video conferencing andwebcam chats, while a rear-facing,5-megapixel camera is meant forshooting still photos and video.Pros:Big, widescreen display offers plentyof  room for video and for reading.Fast 1GHz processor promises greatperformance for future games andapps. Honeycomb simplifies andoptimizes the Android interface fortablets. Dual cameras and an optionalexternal keyboard make this a crediblenotebook replacement.Cons:Rear-facing speakers don’t do justice toany kind of  audio. Honeycomb seemsto have some bugs to work out. Nosupport for Adobe Flash-based content.SpecificationsCPU : Nvidia Tegra 2OS : Google Android 3.0 HoneycombCamera : Front-facing 2-megapixelcamera; rear-facing5-megapixel cameraScreen : HD, 10.1 in, 1280×800Size (WxHxD) : 168x250x13 mmPrice:"
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Digital Learning

Product Update: September

6 Oct 2011