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July

Interviews with education influencers: Cheryl Doig

Posted on July 27, 2011 by David Bailey

Cheryl Doig

Cheryl Doig is a recognised leader in education—previously a highly successful school principal, Teaching Fellow in Educational Management and school reviewer. Under her leadership both Richmond and Fendalton schools received national recognition, including the Goodman Fielder School of the Year. Cheryl has been the recipient of a number of prestigious awards including the Beeby Fellowship and the Woolf Fisher Fellowship. She is a member of the Leadership Faculty of the Australian Council for Educational Leaders and speaks and writes internationally on leadership for the future.

Cheryl is a Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Management (NZIM), an independent director of NZIM Inc. and a member of the Institute of Directors. She is managing director of both Think Beyond Ltd and ALPinE Leadership Ltd, and serves on a number of trusts.

David Bailey interviewed Cheryl late June, 2011.

Personal:

How long have you been involved in education?

I guess I’ve been involved in education all my life! I left school after the 7th form and went straight to teachers college—that was in 1975!

What was your initial interest in education?

I spent the first ten years of teaching as an intermediate school teacher. I was basketball coach and curriculum leader of reading. I then started becoming interested in leadership and moved up the ranks to principalship. I spent seven years as principal of Richmond School (Christchurch), then seven as principal at Fendalton Open-air School—both fabulous learning; very different contexts.

What is your passion in education?

Helping grow leaders for the future. This is in all contexts, not just in education. I am passionate about building a firm base of ethical leadership; self leadership, and global leadership. I believe we have a lot to learn from cultures other than our own, from the neurosciences and from business.

You run Think Beyond. What does that organisation do?

Think Beyond focuses on challenging leaders to think for the future. We work internationally with development of leadership at all levels, facilitating learning programmes, speaking, writing and contributing through social media. Key words in the partnership are: collaboration, challenge, creation and congruency. We work with people who are excited about possibilities and want to grow themselves, their teams and their organisations. We try to bridge research with common sense and practical application!

You also run ALPinE, a web site for thought leaders to connect and air their views. How successful is this site?

ALPinE Leadership is focused on educational leaders who want to explore future possibilities for different approaches to leadership, and the whole concept of ‘school’ as we know it. It was developed from a sense of impatience with the speed of change and mindset that there are too many barriers in place to change. The site includes the opportunity to set up interest groups, and will be developed further with the help of contributors who join the site. Currently, a weekly guest blogger writes focusing on a real range of leadership ideas and experiences. We have also launched our first webinar series for educational leaders, attracting participants from NZ, Australia and Singapore. We will be offering a greater range of online resources to cater for those who wish to learn from each other, yet find travel problematic. There is a huge need for leadership growth opportunities, and so a range of offerings (including a yearlong programme, “The Journey”), are next steps.

You have two web sites, contribute to blogs, run workshops, mentor clients and do presentations here and overseas, on several boards, as well as all the connecting via social media. How do you keep up with all this? And, what drives you?

I don’t keep up with it! I let it wash over me and try to connect things together as much as possible. I have a real portfolio career and it is this that allows me to develop skills in a variety of setting. I enjoy the governance work for extending my analytical and thinking skills and to practice applying what I preach!

I am driven by an intense interest in learning new things and bringing ideas together to create something better than the sum of the parts. I also have plenty of personal goals to work on, and a commitment to support others in their attaining their goals.

Apart from all this, you have also been involved in voluntary work in India. Can you explain what that work involves, why you got involved, and any success stories?

I support the Rata Teacher Support Trust, and have volunteered in both Cape Town and India. This involves helping untrained teachers to teach and supporting leaders to grow skills and capabilities. I got involved because I knew others who were involved and I liked the fact that I could be part of a long-term project based on listening to the needs of the group and on building sustainability. The schools we work with support the underprivileged, the poor, the slum dwellers, the remote communities. The project in Cape Town finished last year, and there was a marked change in teacher practice at the end of this time. Sustaining the change is always difficult. My particular interest in being part of these projects is on listening to the people and learning from and with them in order to build some sustainability (rather than dependence).

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

My husband says marrying him, and he may well be right. David is my rock and right-hand man and chief believer! When I finished my doctorate it was after the culmination of 25 years of part time academic study, while maintaining a fulltime job as teacher and principal. His support was vital!

Concerning Education:

Methods for learning and educating have changed gradually over the centuries, with more effort and change occurring within the last century. What do you see as being the greatest achievement?

Growing literacy levels for those who have not typically had a chance to be educated, especially in emerging countries such as China and India. The impact of the internet on changing ways in which students can collaborate and interact in ways that can provide positive outcomes for the planet.

Where do you see methods of educating need the most improvement?

Teachers listening more and letting the students do the learning. Letting go! Realising that there is not a one best model of education—there needs to be choice and multiple pathways to meet the diverse needs of students. Moving from a restrictive curriculum to a global one—looking outwards and less focused on measurement of minutae.

How do you see this happening?

Some real leadership from NZ Ministry of Education to employ leaders with a vision for growing an exceptional model of learning. A focused approach on developing adaptive leaders—future focused, embracing complexity, and innovating for the benefit of all students.

Are we doing it right here in New Zealand? Who leads the way?

No we are not doing it right from a systemic level. There are some amazingly positive things happening, and some real innovative practice. This is not rewarded or developed from a systems perspective. Those schools that are not achieving are not held accountable at an early enough stage.

It is difficult to compare countries because of contextual differences. I think we need to look at Eastern models with more interest, and move away from following the USA and UK. Australia has pockets of excellence, however, all systems look better from the outside—none is perfect, nor meets the needs of all.

How do you see typical education will be in the future?

Education in the future will be much more diverse. There will be a move to more charter and specialist schools, more home schooling, and more online opportunities. Many schools will become a hub for learning rather than a place attended from 9-3. Hours will be more flexible, and the boundaries between school, business, and home will become more blurred. The use of technologies will continue to have a profound affect on learning. If schools do not adjust to this they will continue to become increasingly irrelevant to students, who will learn in other places through other means.

Concerning Leadership:

You are clearly interested in leadership. What are the key ingredients you see for developing leadership skills in the modern age?

Leadership of self is absolutely foundational. You cannot lead others without first leading yourself, understanding yourself, and self-regulating. From this grows the ethical base that has always been important, and is increasingly so. From here, leaders need to grow the capabilities to lead others and to lead the organisation. Joan Dalton and I wrote the Leadership Learning Maps for the Australian Council for Educational Leaders. This framework of leads self, leads others, and leads the organisation is a good model to follow.

What are the styles of leadership and demands on leaders that are different from the conventional wisdom of a few years ago?

We have moved from a mechanistic view of leadership to a more ecological one. There is greater recognition that leadership is complex, so leaders must be able to meet adaptive challenges. This is recognition that there are not always answers, that there are many possibilities, and that working with cultural change is messy. Increasingly, too, there is a focus on developing as a networked leader. This is about looking outwards and influencing beyond your organisation locally, nationally, and globally.

How do you see this kind of leadership?

It demands mindfulness and reflective practice. More than ever it requires diverse forms of intelligence. One of these, cultural intelligence, will become a major focus in the next three years, as organisations and populations become much more diverse. Neuroleadership is another area that will see significant growth—the melding of neurosciences, leadership, and coaching.

Your web site and presentations show you clearly think technology has a part to play in leadership development. Where do you see technology fitting into the development of leadership and thought leadership?

Technology is a tool for communicating, collaborating, and growing new ideas. As a learner I use, for example, Web 2.0 tools to research trends and to grow ideas with others. Technologies continue to change rapidly and provide leaders more diverse ways of undertaking professional learning, undertaking global projects, and working just in time. Leaders will also need to develop their skills in focus and paying attention to what matters, otherwise the technology will overwhelm them.

I saw in one of your Slideshare slides one that intrigued me. It said: “Leadership is an influencing relationship”. Please explain what that means.

Leadership is about influencing rather than power. Influence is pulling people to a new future, rather than pushing them whether they resist or not. Influence is about people wanting to be part of the tribe (as Seth Godin describes it) because it connects to their heart as well as their head. Influence is about working with people and listening to understand before taking action. Power is a short-term solution that cannot be sustained over time.

Catastrophes provide ample opportunities for good leadership. The recent Canterbury earthquakes have provided such an opportunity. How do you think leadership in education has fared (the good, the bad, the ugly)?

Secondary schools have had the opportunity to break down barriers and work more closely together. This has helped people to rethink what they have been doing. It will be easy to revert to tradition unless schools, the Ministry of Education, and other key drivers proactively start imagining new possibilities. Technology, in particular Christchurch’s GSCN, has a real part to play in accelerating and embedding changes.

The danger is that the Eastern suburbs are left without support, and that they focus on survival of ‘their school’ rather than looking holistically at new possible models that meet the needs of students in the area.

We have a real opportunity to work together as a city to develop a model of education that uses strengths across the city. It will require some key people stepping up to lead and being prepared to leave egos and parochialness behind. That is Christchurch’s immediate challenge. It will be tough, yet so many possibilities exist….

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Where in the world is Exec? Just check out their QR code

Posted on July 21, 2011 by Tara Fagan

iPhone-QR CORE's web site QR

QR (quick response) codes have been around for some years, being popular in Japan. They are fast becoming tools for education with schools using them in a variety of ways to support teaching and learning.

They're quite fun, too!

A fun QR quiz for CORE Early Years Team after a day of meetings

The CORE Early Years Team, 16 staff spread across New Zealand, meet face-to-face twice a year. As part of the evening’s festivities, the team took part in a QR quiz called “Where in the world is Exec?”. Tania and I, QR code fans, wanted to share QR codes with the team in a way that was fun and entertaining, given it followed a full day of meetings. The two of us developed a QR quiz. A top secret mission was given to four teams who needed to hunt down and find which Exec member they were looking for, what they were doing and who they were with.

Each team downloaded QR readers on their iPhones, with the iPhones being the only tools allowed to read the codes and search the meaning on the web. Once the team had solved all four clues, they then needed to create a code and send back the answer.

It was a fun activity at the end of a busy day of meetings.

QR codes are being used in education

But QR codes have a more serious use, too! Examples of how the QR codes are being used in education were shared at the end of the quiz.

Some uses for QR codes in education

  • Book review podcasts—the QR code takes students through to a student-produced book review of books in the library
  • Links to websites at schools (Dunedin Library has QR codes to link through to their free wireless) so the web page opens up directly in whatever mobile technology you are using. QRs are used widely overseas for quick links to websites, and feature in tourist brochures, billboards, shop windows etc.
  • Extending learning, or providing alternative links to subjects—for example, QR codes link to further information on subjects (teachers paste QR codes in parts of textbooks so that the reader can access a Youtube on this subject so the student can visualise as well as read)
  • Ubitour books—(watch the YouTube video) where books have pre-printed qr codes that extend upon the reading experience so readers can comment on books, experience audio and video supplementaries that extend the reading experience
  • In some countries (e.g. Japan) QR codes are printed on vegetables in temporary ink so the shopper can scan to find where the vegetables have come from. Products are being produced with a QR code printed on them that links to the web manual for the appliance or product.
  • House sales: The QR code on the 'For sale' sign links through to a video tour of the house
  • Bus/train timetables: you can read the QR code to find out when the next bus is coming to your stop
  • QR codes are placed beside artwork so that the viewers can access an explanation about the work or artist
  • QR codes on T-shirts that link through to the person's profile and contact details – we did this as part of our evening entertainment
  • QR codes on worksheets that link thought to video tutorials that show how to complete the work or solve the problem
  • Recording lessons/tutorials that are available from the QR link.
  • QR can be used reference and get to understand the periodic table.

It is all about mobile technologies and accessing information when and where you need it.

QR codes have been around in Japan for a while now, but they are more widely used now; the uses will keep growing, and as you can see, there's not too many uses in EY education (yet). Perhaps you could comment below on how you see them being able to be used!

Want to know more and find out how, check out our ece online resource site.

Your suggestions for QR use in education are welcome

In the meantime, have a play and find this member of the Exec team, then add your suggestions to the comments below as to how you see QR being used in education:

Find Exec QR example

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An Agenda for Amazing Children – Consultation Process

Posted on July 19, 2011 by Tara Fagan

ECE Taskforce Report

A few weeks ago, the ECE Taskforce released their final report – An Agenda for Amazing Children. This report confirms that there are sound reasons for leadership in funding ECE noting that "investing in early childhood education can be thought of as one of the most effective uses of taxpayer funds" (p. 28).

One of the most important findings from the report, and it is not a new finding, is the issue of quality – high quality early childhood education services provide the best outcomes for children. The report recommends ways in which quality in early childhood can be lifted so there is less variance across services.

The Government has now opened an eight-week consultation process. We have until the 8 August 2011 to submit our views on Taskforce report so that these can be considered along with the recommendations of the report. Find out more about how you can submit your thoughts on the report to the Ministry of Education.

It is important to have our say – it may make a difference to the future of early childhood education, and more importantly, to the children of Aotearoa/New Zealand.

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Co-location of schools: out of adversity—some new thinking?

Posted on July 13, 2011 by David Bailey

School hours

Strange things happen in times of adversity. Things out of the norm become acceptable—even essential. Laws and protocols evaporate, and necessity rules.

Merivale shop fronts destroyed in earthquake

I have an abiding memory from February 22, after the big earthquake, of walking through the Merivale shopping centre down the centre of Papanui Road, along with cars and bikes and hundreds of other pedestrians. It was impossible, or too dangerous, to walk on the footpath with teetering shop fronts in danger of spewing out onto the road. Bricks punched the pavement with each aftershock. We all understood that the road rules no longer applied—despite the law. Men in suits and women in high-heels clambered over locked gates and walls into people's homes without being questioned—they were checking to see if anyone had been caught in the rubble of a collapsed wall of a house. We all understood that these things were right for the moment.

How co-location is working for Papanui High School and Shirley Boys High

Recently, I was chatting to a schoolteacher, Justin Warren, from Papanui High School, at one of our CORE Breakfast seminars. Papanui High is one of the schools co-locating because of the Canterbury earthquakes. They share their school facilities with Shirley Boys High School, and will do so until early August at the earliest, I understand.

I asked Justin how the two schools were finding the co-location arrangement. He said that the second "shift" school, Shirley Boys High, is finding that the students aren't coping as well as Papanui High School students in the first "shift". When you look at the times, you can see the picture:

  • 8.00 a.m.–12.55 p.m. Papanui HS
  • 1.15 p.m.–5.55 p.m. Shirley Boys HS.

But Justin was excited about this because the experience has been enlightening. The school is so pleased with the results of the earlier school start and finish times that they are looking at starting school earlier once Shirley Boys have gone!

Benefits for the earlier school start-time

He said that the benefits have been enormous. For example:

  • Teachers are focussing on the essentials of what students need to know and be able to do.
  • Students are, therefore, more focussed and working better, having less downtime.
  • Behaviour has improved.

Initially, there were concerns about lateness. But that hasn't proved a problem. Well, there's still a problem with lateness: the kids that were late before are the same ones turning up late under the new timetable.

There are also some side-benefits. For example, the students and teachers have much more energy for after-school activities such as sports, scholarships, and teacher prep-time.

Law changes required for coping with the disaster may be catalyst for future changes

None of this would have been "discovered" if it weren't for the earthquakes! Schools are  bound by law to be run within certain hours. Co-location being one of the only options open to the many schools affected by the earthquake, the Ministry of Education had to think outside the norm. Emergency (temporary) laws had to be put through including laws concerning half-days. Justin mentioned that a Ministry official who spoke to both schools' staff, no doubt wishing to encourage distressed and disrupted teachers, mentioned that new possibilities may arise out of the disruption.

Justin said that the school was moving to start earlier. The staff has already met to discuss the matter, and voted on it. "Staff have voted for an 8:30 a.m. start and a 2:30 p.m. finish. All meetings would be held in the mornings from 7:30 a.m to 8:30 a.m. This would make staff available in the afternoon for extra tutorials, sports and co-curricular activities." The next thing is to discuss this with parents and the wider community.

There are some issues. Childcare is one of them. Kids returning home earlier from school may present new challenges to working parents and guardians. It highlights the need for the wider community—parents, business, education authorities, and government—to take a good look at this.

Another is, this discovery by the staff at Papanui High School bucks the research trends—at least from overseas. They have been telling us for some time that teenagers are better off starting school later (read: they need more sleep before school). But then, that research has been done in the USA, and they are talking about school start times of 7.15 a.m. I think, even Papanui High would baulk at that, co-location or not!

What other revelations are there? New research may reveal

Are there other things that could come out of all this disruption? What about the very issue of co-location of schools?

Since I started writing this post, I have heard that my colleagues here at CORE Education have been commissioned to do research on the effects of co-location on Christchurch schools on behalf of the Ministry, not only in the secondary sector, but also in early childhood, and primary. Who knows whether the temporary legislation for Canterbury schools affected by the earthquake may open up new possibilities for the whole country!

As Disraeli (1804–1881), a British prime minister, once said: "there is no education like adversity."

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