Moa Kluster Trip
On the 13th and 14th of June the MOA Kluster school visited Russell Street School, Whakarongo School, Halcombe and Riverdale School. This was an amazing experience for our cluster. Having 53 teachers, teacher aides, Board of Trustee and principals sharing common professional development was very powerful. I would like to acknowledge our colleagues in Palmerston North who opened their classrooms and their teaching practice to our scrutiny. We very much appreciate that you were so generous with your time and resources.
During our visits we focussed on how the schools were using digital literacy to enhance authentic learning. We so many examples of great teacher practice. We observed students working in a range of diverse learning situations. Most of all we were able to see our teaching and beliefs aligned with the other schools.
We saw great learning environments and students who were engrossed in the learning through "self directed learning" programmes. This was a great opportunity to see if these were ideas and ways of teaching that we would like to implement in our school.
Most of all the collegiality within our own cluster was strengthened through this collaboration. Our teachers worked in cross school teams to explore the schools. They also worked collaboratively after school critiquing what they had observed.
After the school visits each school has gone on to reflect on the schools we visited. Some of us have used the Six Thinking Hats to critique our new learning.
White Hat: What was the key message from each principal in a nutshell?
Yellow Hat: What did good practice look like in these schools?
Black Hat: What did you see that you would not like to see in our school?
Green Hat: What innovative practice did you see? What would you give up to do it? How would you implement it sustainably?
Red Hat; Which school did you like best? Why? What school in your belief is our school more aligned with, if any?
Blue Hat: What would be best use of our time if we decided to look at improving our practice?
he Six Thinking Hats help to focus our own thinking.
