Significant+Change+Stories

=__Significant Change Stories - the Power of Story__= toc

Introduction
>
 * A story is something that comes from outside. But the meaning is something that emerges from within . When a story reaches our hearts with deep meaning, it takes hold of us . Once it does so, we can let it go, and yet it remains with us. We do not weary of this experience.
 * When we hear a story that touches us profoundly, our lives are suffused with meaning. As listeners, we have transmitted to us that which matters. Once we make this connection, once a sense of wonder has come upon us, it does not last long, and we inevitably fall back into our daze of everyday living, but with the difference that a radical shift in understanding may have taken place.
 * Storytelling is more than just a tool . It is beyond any implement–almost a requirement of being alive . Insofar as it has anything to offer, it generates fresh depth and breadth of perception . It enables us to surmount a humdrum world where everything makes sense and is logical, and get to that realm where deeper meaning is revealed.
 * Narrative is a tool for the instigators of change, who aim at continuing transformation and the creation of a fruitful tomorrow . Those whose goal is merely that of control will find that storytelling is not a very useful or important tool. For them, the important thing is accommodation to the preoccupations of a well-behaved yesterday.(Steve Denning, [|click here for more])

The power of story shared and deeply listened to can provide us with a form of qualitative assessment from which growth can be evaluated and future pathways designed. Story telling is natural part of life. Perhaps the challenge of story telling is to listen with honest intent and explore through questioning to extropolate greater understanding. Stories can be shared by all humans of all ages and stages in some way shape or form. From a retelling to the sharing of an image or artifact. It is those who listen to the story who can determine the story tellers success, those who listen must be a supportive, encouraging and caring audience. "Listening is such a simple act. It requires us to be present, and that takes practice, but we don't have to do anything else. We don't have to advise, or coach, or sound wise. We just have to be willing to sit there and listen." Margaret J. Wheatley

A Process for Authentic and Empowering Assessment

 * How often have you completed assessment of your learners with a dot, tick or cross or in some other qualitative way and feel you had not done justice to the learner?
 * Have you ever created a graph of reading ages in your class only to feel like you have not captured the growth or sideways learning that a number of children made?
 * Have you ever received a mark as a learner which left you wondering so what does this mean?
 * Have you ever had an appraisal where there was no time for a conversation but you did get a slip of paper with many ticks and some blank spaces? Where is that slip of paper? Do you care? How did this form of assessment transform your understanding of the art and science of teaching?

Significant change stories may be one tool or method to authentically capture growth or deeper understanding that simultaneously empowers the story teller and the audience.

Significant change stories have been shared between cluster members for the entirety of this ICTPD contract. These stories capture the authentic transformation that has occurred in a qualitative way.

We want to capture these stories in this format to benefit MOE requirements but more importantly to benefit you as a learner and your colleagues.

Process of Identifying and Sharing Significant Change Stories
<span style="font-size: 120%; font-family: Georgia,serif; color: rgb(11, 10, 10); background-color: rgb(255, 0, 79); text-align: center; display: block">..."take the time to smell the roses and ..." Reflect on your involvement and the school involvement in the ICTPD contract. What "wow" moment has been significant for you as a learner or for your learners or learning programme. Your "wow" moment might take in the three year journey. It may have made you hit rock bottom before it felt like a "wow." Your "wow" moment may have been discovering that the more you learn, the more you need to learn or may be even feel like a backward "wow" moment. Below are some criteria for you that might enable you to share more detail of your "wow" moment or might help you as a listener to extract more from someone's "wow" moment. Please do not feel restricted by the criteria however.

Some helpful prompts for identifying/recalling a significant change story:
For some of us we can think of something straight from the top of our heads, for some the following may be helpful:
 * take time to look through children's photos, your planning, children's learning, even your own personal records of learning throughout the ICTPD contract.
 * talk to colleagues - in the staffroom, over a cold or hot beverage, while on duty in the fresh spring air!
 * walk - alone, with a colleague, a friend and try to recall frustrating or celebratory moments in learning
 * read - walls, colleagues walls, wikispaces/blogs, your notes, your school term curriculum reflections
 * read these rubrics (don't be confused by them, just let the words help you to think) [[file:Rubric SOLO CollabnPowerfullng.doc]][[file:ClassroomSnapshotRubric.doc]]

Capturing and sharing your significant change story
Our memories serve us better at times when we have a prompt. Artifacts are a complimentary focal point for stories. Might you capture and share your story from the following artifacts:
 * a photo
 * a drawing
 * sample of learning
 * an exercise/notebook
 * a voicethread/blog/wiki or powerpoint etc
 * a quote (your own or others)
 * an experience
 * a child (memories of or maybe they join you at your sharing session)
 * a voice recording
 * a written acount
 * an object or several objects
 * an analogy

If you think about it, this is the type of process we expect from our children daily! Which makes for more interesting reflections on this process or our expectations of our leaners.

Bringing your story to a forum
You will be expected to share your significant change story to the forum of your staff. Enjoy the experience or at the very least enjoy hearing others share! This sharing forum will be followed by <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif">__**Shift in thinking/worldview**__ • A shift towards the idea that every adult in a school has a duty of care for every child. • Shift in power/control away from teacher and shift in world-view. • Learning stems from student’s experiences (as opposed to old teacher-imposed topics and themes). • Teachers need to believe they have responsibility for all students’ learning (not just own class). • Common understanding of teacher and learner. • Need for sound philosophy and theory around that (for learners and teachers). • For sustainability, need change in whole school culture and structures. • Learning environment that is comfortable and safe but challenging. • Student initiated learning requires a shared philosophy. • Management of resources needed, e.g. structural and cultural change to facilitate changed practice. • Impact on how roles are interpreted, e.g. that of Teacher Librarian. • Importance of teaming structures in school so people are moved along by each other. • Talk, discussion, moderation, interaction among teachers to get change happening. • Self initiated learning can be inclusive of all students if managed well. • Affective dimension is powerful, e.g. relationships in which there is trust in the positive intent of others, feeling safe and happy, student feeling trusted by teacher. __**Teacher Capacities**__ • Student experienced a change in practice (so people need to have experienced change – has to make a difference to students). • Student having control of learning and choice. • Teachers able to identify and communicate about what students can do. • Balance student initiated learning with explicit teaching in response to students’ needs (not laissez faire). • Self-awareness, critical reflection by teachers needed for growth. • Changed methodologies. • Change in student’s engagement levels from year 3–5. • Student aware of own feelings, e.g. feeling empowered. • Student able to articulate (identify) what is different. • Students know about the development of thinking skills and learning styles (e.g. how to use scaffolding to advance own learning).
 * A team decision to nominate and put forward two significant change stories that best represent the school for the exiting milestone report.
 * The two stories may be put forward as written stories, recorded stories (voice recording, podcast, voicethread etc) and may be accompanied by any number of artifacts to illustrate the story.
 * More criteria below may help the team to ensure that as many details of the story are included to show the significant change. Again, don't feel restricted by all criteria - it is meant to prompt thinking not stifle thinking.
 * __Whole School Level__**
 * __Student capacities__**

Capturing everyone's Significant Change
All cluster members will be asked to reflect on themselves in light of their time in the contract and plot themselves on the following rubrics. We ask that you indicate by date where you felt or know your were upon entering the contract, and where you feel you are today. Please do this for both rubrics. Your rubrics will be collected by your Principals and posted to Rochelle for analysis.

Deadline
Each school will set its own time line for completing this process. Please respect that timeline. All required data is to be sent to Rochelle before November 7.