ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cliff Edmeades has been a teacher, Head of Department, Dean, Deputy Principal and Principal. He is the past Principal of Rutherford College. He has also had the experience of being Acting Principal at Orewa College and Waitakere College.

Over the past four years, Cliff has been a consultant working for the Ministry of Education providing services to Boards, Principals and their Staff. He has worked in both rural and city schools including Wharekura.

Cliff has worked part-time for the University of Auckland Team Solutions over the past three years in their Leadership and Management Team and in that capacity has undertaken work with schools in Northland, Auckland and Waikato at the Principal, Deputy Principal and Assistant Principal and Staff levels.

Several chapters have been “field trialled” with Principal groups and have proved to be stimulating and enjoyable and have sparked a good deal of helpful sharing of contextualised ideas.

What do people say about him and his work?

“ Do not tell us any more! We have excellent material here to keep us going for ages”.

“Thank you for the new insights and understanding Cliff”.

“ Love the pictures and the diagrams – they give a comprehensive picture on one sheet of paper”.

“ You have a wonderful energetic optimism combined with genuine kindness”.

CLIFF EDM

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FIELDBOOK of FACILITATION RESOURCES

KEY RESEARCH AND CONCEPTS TO ASSIST YOU TO UNDERSTAND CONTEXTUALISE INTEGRATE AND IMPLEMENT REFORM OF EDUCATION

CLIFF EDMEADESMA (Hons), Dip Tchg A.F.N.Z.I.M

TOWARDS A WORLD LEADING EDUCATION SYSTEM

MOVING FROM:

WHAT the research says to

WHO centred on our students and

WHERE next in our contextualised holistic response

This Fieldbook is necessarily superficial in terms of discussion of the significance of many of the research findings. It is not designed as an academic critique, but an attempt to focus on the heart of each matter it deals with. It is designed to give leading learners some facilitation exercises to stimulate the thinking of the team around them with respect to the issue raised in each chapter.

Hopefully someone in that team will be led to research a chosen issue more deeply on behalf of the team through the lens of YOUR students so that the issue becomes deeply contextualised.

This Fieldbook is designed to be the starting point for deeper exploration of an issue which seems to be critical in responding to the data you have collected about your learners.

You are confronting the challenge to find out:

• The next steps for us as leading learners; and

• The next steps for our learners.

The aim in each section is to:

• Identify where that topic fits into the bigger picture;

• Point you to some relevant Research; and

• Provide some facilitation tools to help your team understand and contextualise that aspect into your planning and delivery.

Leading Learners are well aware of the “what” but need help to discern where they are up to on their learning journey within the context of their school.

This volume comes about because of several learning journeys I have taken as a leading learner in three schools and as a Consultant and as a University Team Solutions Facilitator.

This work is a compilation of material from various attributed researchers.

The commentary on and interpretation of the implications of the research and the Facilitation Exercises are entirely the work of the author. This resource can be photocopied within the school for which the Fieldbook was purchased.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Printed and published for C.R. Edmeades the holder of the Intellectual Property Rights.

Contact: 56 Cherub Place, West Harbour, Auckland 0618Email: edmeades@ihug.co.nz

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Dr. John Edwards, for his work with me and my staff colleagues

Pam Hook, for her work in leading learning about personalised pathways using technology and in the Key Competence of thinking

Professor John Hattie, for his stimulating research and leadership

David Hargreaves, for a new take on Curriculum development

Professor Russell Bishop, for his investigation into what student voice has to tell us about cultural connectedness

Ngaire Harris, for our mutual learning and resource sharing

Gayle Britten, for her thoughtful, supportive, approach to leadership and challenges

My colleagues at Team Solutions for their stimulus and sharing of ideas

My dear wife, Dianne, for her unfailing enthusiastic support

My family, for their unerring support and thoughtful and often encouraging commentary

My daughter, Kirsten, for her patience, and skills in editing and formatting

The researcher/writers of the BEST EVIDENCE SYNTHESES

A host of academic researchers whose ideas have provided thoughtful stimulus

Where should you turn for help in facilitation?

Your local University

Your Principals’ Centre

Your Principals’ Groups

Consultants

Various providers such as: The Kohia Teachers’ Centre Private Bag 99946, Newmarket, (09) 6238977

Learning Network NZ P O Box 21705, Henderson, (09) 8350912

Both these organisations have been enthusiastic about this Facilitation Fieldbook for what it contains and for the support it offers Leading Learners to explore learning possibilities with their colleagues in these institutions.