Okay, lets see if I can actually get some time together to keep Blogging!!! What with negotiating my new cell phone and working!!! Phew, no Blog time!!! I have been thinking about leading change recently. What a job that is. So what does it take to be a great leader of change?

Well I have just returned from the learning@school conference. I gained a lot from the conference, but where to now? I mean there are a whole of host of ideas swimming around in my head. The key is the small steps inegration of these new ideas and concepts into my teaching practice. I was particularly impressed with the Andy Hargreaves and his idea that our goals should be focused on what we as school need and not shaped by government and a ministry that is removed from us. This rang true for me as we embark on our first year as an ICT cluster, our worry as a school was that we would be lost in the needs of the cluster and as such fail to meet out responsibility to our own school and the stakeholders within it.

His tale of Nokia as a driving force in shaping the development of their country was impressive. I loved the idea of shouting out about our bad news, about calling for help early on and not hiding the truth, "denial is not an Egyptian river". The bottom-up approach is one I can see working effectively, as long as the bottom feels valued and appreciated.

Throughout the conference I tallied up how many times an effective habit was mentioned! I was very impressed with the fact that 6 of the 7 habits were included in keynotes and spotlight sessions over the two days. It re-affirmed for me my belief that if I can apply these habits to my own life and provide the opportunity for my students to develop the habits then we trully will find a "win win" situation.
http://www2.bc.edu/~hargrean/
http://www.artichoke.typepad.com/

Glogster

Check this out. Thanks Rocky for the link to great uses of this web 2.0 tool. I had been trying to find ways to use this in the classroom. Will get straight into it.

Will update when my little darlings have completed some tasks.

http://www.glogster.com/edu/#

One more week of holidays to go...It is amazing but even after 9 years of teaching, I still get nervous at the thought of my new class!!! It seems insane I know, but my tummy gives me butterflies and I find my dreams become obsessed with school and the millions of things I have to get done. I am ever optimistic that armed with Habits 1 - 3 my year will leap into a highly effective start this year! My colleagues are of course already laughing at me!

I recently chatted with a friend who is currently teaching in London and I have to say that I extremely thankful that I am teaching in New Zealand, where children are far freer to shape their own learning.

Anyway, Have a great start to 2009, onwards and upwards we go.

Brilliant...Have spent the last week immersed in the world of 7 habits. Is there any one out there that is applying these principles in their school, classroom? Please let me know if you are. I am determined to give it all a go this year. There are so many valuable lessons for students in these ideas. I recommend " The Leader In Me" by Stephen Covey. It is full of inspirational ideas to get this year off to flying start. Of course many of us are applying these ideas without thinking too much about them. I found what this gives is a structure to work in without being too regimented, my own "flavour" can still come through.

2 More weeks left of the holidays, are we all looking forward to 2009? I've got a sneaking feeling it's going to be a good one!

Having successfully got my class blogging last year I thought I might be brave and enter that world myself. I hope to share with many my thoughts and opinions on our number one passion, teaching and learning. I have bee regularly checking out many of my colleagues ideas and sharing and thought I had better start giving too!! The name of my Blog page comes from my favourite movie..."Very Annie Mary" if you haven't had the pleasure yet, I highly recommend it.

"Imagine yourself like a radiant light, a glass absorbing colour" a pretty fair mantra if ever there was one!!

I am currently teaching at Morrinsville Intermediate School. Over the last few years, I along with my students have come a long way on a journey that sees me becoming more of a facilitator in learning. I have stood back and watched in awe as young people drive their own learning. Take charge and collaborate with me and each other in a digital world. I am very excited by the whole idea that a child can share ideas with a wide global community.

I did chuckle to myself this morning, reading the NZ Herald where research has finally shown that it is the student's relationship with teachers that matters far more than resources, class size, type or decile of a school...heeeelllloooooo!!!!

So I hope that I can continue to share ideas, rantings and any thoughts on "Annie Mary". Will promise to do better next time!