I always like to start the school year with a clear sense of direction and personal professional priorities and goals; a sort of pre-reflection, if that makes sense. It goes without saying that one needs, as an educator, to be a:

– better learner
– better teacher
– better leader

and to do something personally and professionally to achieve these ends.

For school, in no particular order of importance, my foci:

  • Helping colleagues communicate, collaborate and create using new and traditional tools
  • Supporting students and my colleagues in the classroom
  • Ensuring that Year 7 students have the best start to high school possible. This includes leading and supporting the Learning Teams for professional development and growing communications with parents using the email distribution list and Year 7 blog.
  • E³ (Extend, Enrich, Engage program) – students learn best when motivated and free to pursue areas of interest with support. Placing the learner at the centre of our extension program, using digital technologies as often as sensible, is of major importance this year. Meeting Dr. Nicola Johnson and pointing parents and their children in the direction of the Teen Expertise Network (TEN) has already meant we have hit the ground running.
  • Assessment – ‘Assessment for Learning’ always needs reinvigoration with an eye to the future.
  • Web 2.0 & Personal Learning Networks (PLNs) – spreading the good word about the potential of Web 2.0 technologies to allow staff to communicate, collaborate and create in a professional and personal sense.
  • I’d really like to see the concept of a ‘Personal Learning Environment’ (PLE) become the centre of our educational philosophy as the wireless connectivity and laptops are rolled-out this year.
  • Ensuring MOODLE is used widely; I have placed my Year 11 course at our newly named, ePhoenix MOODLE

There is much else of import that could be listed, of course, but the above is on my mind the day before returning to the coalface.

I also like to think about who continues to influence my thinking and help me, sometimes unknowingly and from afar but more often at a very practical, theoretical level. Some (and there are many more of you) of the educators, thinkers and people who are (and continue to be) very important to my thinking about the (teaching & learning) zeitgeist with their books, articles, emails, tweets, presentations, skype calls and blogs include: Chris Betcher, Stephen Downes, James Gee, Eva Gold, Dean Groom, Mark Howie, Steven JohnsonLawrence Lessig, Kelli McGraw, Judy O’Connell, George Siemens, Michael WeschMark Pesce,  Will RichardsonTony SearlElaine Talbert & Sue Waters

Thanks everyone
Thanks everyone

Thanks, in advance, to all of you for your collegiality and leadership in 2009.

Have a great year!

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Comments(11)

  1. Darcy, by reading the post the quip about leaps and chasms springs to mind.

    Have a great year, you do and will make a difference.

    Tomaz

    • darcymoore

    • 15 years ago

    Oh, everybody, add Tomaz Lasic to that list (I only left him off to see if he was paying attention ;O)

    http://human.edublogs.org/

  2. Thanks for the mention Darcy. It is an absolute pleasure to be of any assistance.
    What a joy it must be for the school to have you as a DP. I like what you have devised as goals and priorities. How refreshing it would be to have such a balanced blend of thinker and doer in one person.
    The E program sounds fabulous. I’ll stay tuned.
    Very nifty use of wordle too.
    All the best.
    Elaine

    • darcymoore

    • 15 years ago

    Thanks Elaine,

    You are such an amazing source of information, links and guidance for a large number of people. We need more DET people – not based in schools – to share like this.

    Darcy

    • darcymoore

    • 15 years ago

    BTW Here is an article I wrote over the holidays about the ‘future’ of education’: http://agit8.org.uk/?p=239

  3. Thanks for the mention Darcy. Seeing my name amongst all those others is pretty humbling. Looking forward to another great year…

    Chris

  4. Darcy
    Well said, this post and your insightful AGIT8 article.

    The 40 foot leap with leaders PD will be one to behold, more needed in our places.

    Tony

  5. Thanks for sharing! It sounds like you are setting yourself up for a great year.

    – kelly

    • darcymoore

    • 15 years ago

    Thanks for your comments and reflections, Chris, Kelly and Tony, as always your input is much appreciated.

    We had a really positive SDD at work today; staff really positive and focused. Looking good for 2009.

  6. Best of luck for the year ahead and look forward to seeing you achieve your goals. Thanks for the mention and good to see Tomaz was paying attention 🙂

  7. […] than these semantics, from my POV, is personal renewal and direction. Last year, I posted about ‘directions and influencers’ but currently am endeavouring to reassess the larger picture for schools, especially mine. How to […]

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