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Leading for learning-Improving science in my school

PrimaryConnections: Continuing Professional Development 2014

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Facilitator

Ms Louise Rostron

Professional Learning Consultant

PrimaryConnections

Australian Academy of Science

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Workshop purpose

You are here to experience and understand the PDSA improvement process, its application to improving science teaching and learning in primary school and the connections to implementing the PrimaryConnections program.

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Workshop outline (90 minutes)

INTRO: Purpose, outline, outcomes(5 mins)

ENGAGE: What are the changes/improvements that the(15 mins) PrimaryConnections program is trying to achieve?

What are the reactions to change?

EXPLORE: Identify and prioritise opportunities for improvement(20 mins )

EXPLAIN: The PDSA process, its structure and functions(20 mins)

ELABORATE: Practise some learning tools(20 mins)

EVALUATE:How does using PDSA assist with change?(10 mins) Evaluate the workshop

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Outcomes

On completion of this module participants will understand:

 • the PDSA improvement process

• examples of techniques to apply at each phase of the PDSA process

• the application of the PDSA process to improve the teaching and learning of primary science

• that the PDSA process can be applied to both small and large improvement projects at the classroom, whole school or higher level

• the connections to implementing the PrimaryConnections program

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ENGAGE

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Affinity diagram

What are the changes/improvements that the PrimaryConnections program is trying to achieve?

One change per sticky note

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Volunteers Whingers

Survivors Prisoners

Australian characters in the workplace

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Typical emotional reactions to suggestions for change

• “They” are being critical of “what I do now”• I’m scared I won’t be able to do it• I’m wondering what demands the change places on me• Why do I have to do this (even if what I do is not working very well!)• It’s a fad!• I don’t have time!!• Can I take on anymore?• What I do now is OK and I’m comfortable….• I don’t really want to know about a better way…• What extra will I have to do?• Oh, not another program!• Science is not that important!• “They” are just trying to sell me something!

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EXPLORE

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The Change Prioritiser

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EXPLAIN

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1. Build a bridge

Where? Destination?

Why? Reason?

What? Sort of bridge?

How? Systems? Structures?

Processes?

What if I fail? Safety net

“How do we encourage volunteer mode?”

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Personal contribution

Teamwork

Support

Clarify direction

Collaboration

“How do we encourage volunteer mode?”

2. Show you care!

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The Enlightening Campaign!

http://www.science.org.au/message-sir-david-attenborough

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Dr Deming’s Profound KnowledgeFounded in the theories of Dr W Edwards Deming and others, the QualityLearning approach can be summarised as four areas that Deming called Profound Knowledge. To improve any organisation requires focusing onthese four areas.

Systems: seeking clarity of purpose, establishing visions of excellence, focussing on clients and seeing all work as processes

Knowledge: using structured improvement tools and methods, planning for

improvement

Variation: using data to drive improvement, understanding system and process variation

People: removing barriers to intrinsic motivation, encouraging leadership at all levels, teamwork and cooperation.

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Profound Knowledge

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Plan, Do Study, Act

http://www.qla.com.au/pages/VC_PDSAJordan.html

Jordan will show us how!

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When things could be better!

Root causes of problems:

95% are system problems!

5% are people problems!

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Start thinking of problems as systems problems and avoid the blame game!

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Moving from Theory to Practice

A process can be defined as:

“a sequence of actions enacted to achieve one or more purposes.”

All work is a process. Processes are the way things get done.

If we wish to achieve better outcomes from our improvement efforts, we

must examine the process- the sequence of steps-we use to achieve

these improved outcomes.

QLA Handbook Plan-Do Study-Act Improvement Cycle(2010)

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Application of the Plan Do Study Act Cycle requires us to be clear and specific about:

• the purpose and goals of the proposed improvement

• who is served by the proposed improvement and their needs

• how success will be evaluated

• the deficiencies in the current situation and the causes of these deficiencies

• a theory and plan for improvement

• evaluation of the success of the plan and reflecting on appropriate next

steps

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Leadership for learning

“Leadership for learning is driven by moral purpose, based

on values that underpin learning and infuse leadership.

These are made apparent through behaviours and actions,

and the conditions we create for students, teachers and

parents.”

Swaffied S & Macbeath J in

Macbeath and Dempster, 2009, Connecting Leadership and Learning

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Five key principles for practice

A focus of learning

An environment for learning

A learning dialogue

Shared leadership

Accountability-internal and external

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ELABORATE

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Bone DiagramDescribe the current situation

Describe the desired situation

What are the forces pushing towards the improvement?

What are the forces preventing the improvement?

How might we eliminate the preventing forces?

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Fishbone diagram

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If…..then……

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EVALUATE

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“If you want to make enemies, try to change something!”Woodrow Wilson

If you don’t like change, you’re going to like irrelevance even less!”General Eric Shinseki

“If you have always done it that way, it is probably wrong!”Charles Kettering

“Change” Quotes

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“Change” Quotes

“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.” Charles Darwin

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has!”Margaret Mead

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Niccolo Machiavelli

“In matters of human endeavour there is nothing more difficult to be engaged in, nor to sustain the involvement in, than to initiate a new order of things.”