Ebook Network Learning For Educational Change

How do networks create educational change and improve student achievement? What kinds of educational policies and practices facilitate network learning? Networks bring teachers, principals and other stakeholders together to share ideas, observe best practices, identify and analyze problems, and develop strategies for improved teaching, learning, and community life. These networks are becoming an important method to enhance educational renewal and student achievement. Networks go beyond tensions of top-down vs. bottom-up, school development and formal and informal organizational structures. The theoretical base of networking makes use of many different concepts of educational change theory, such as educational change processes, empowering of teachers, professional development, communities of practice, the network society and democratic education. The first part of the book features studies of four ‘established’ networks who have been functioning for several years. These networks describe their accomplishments, challenges, goals, and the theoretical basis of their work. In the second part of the book, three recently developed networks share their ‘start-up’ experiences and lessons learned. The book concludes by looking at networking as a strategy for educational change. Key reading for Education students, educational consultants and teacher educators with an interest in educational leadership and educational change. Contributors: Lew Allen,Linda Atkinson, Tero Autio, Randy Averso, Jean Cate, Dennis W. K. Chan, Chris Day, Victor Forrester, Gregg Garn, Dennis Gentry, Jesse Goodman, Mark Hadfield, Barbara Harold, Frances Hensley, Elaine Jarchow, Gaetane Jean-Marie, Tracey McAskill, Robin McGrew-Zoubi, Mary John O’Hair, Ulrich C. Reitzug, Eero Ropo, Joan Rué, Wiel Veugelers, Ian Walker, William Y. Wu, Henk Zijlstra.

This important book takes a fresh look at educational change - a concept which is in frequent use but rarely examined for the variety of meanings it conveys. It brings together the ideas of major educational change theorists from three continents, and invites the reader to explore the idea of educational change at a number of levels and from a variety of perspectives. There is much talk about the pace of social change in, and the growing complexity of, industrial societies. In this book a number of well-known international researchers attempt to analyse the meaning of contemporary social change for education. Particular emphasis is given to the implications for: * the personal and social development of students * schools as organizations * the school curriculum * the teaching profession * educational policy formation * education research

Despite over 40 years of research and writing about how to lead educational change, we still can’t get it right. Although we keep fine tuning our present ways, we are yet to come up with an approach that enables educational change to happen successfully and sustainably. Although this book acknowledges the importance of learning from our past, it also highlights a key deficiency that has consistently compromised these efforts.

“With care, and in partnership with others, it may yet be possible to overcome contemporary dilemmas and to provide the high quality, rounded and fulfilling education for all to which so many aspire. This book helps considerably in understanding contemporary problems and challenges in primary education – it is important, timely and deserves to be widely read.” Andrew Pollard, Institute of Education, London What is the impact of New Labour’s education policies on primary schools? What are the main lessons to be learned from recent research on primary schools? What are the implications for the future of primary education? In this topical book, leading academics in primary education evaluate New Labour’s Education policy. They draw on the findings of the latest research to discuss the impact of policies on primary school practice and on the views and experiences of primary school teachers and pupils. Current issues and initiatives are analysed to identify the extent to which policy is shaped by past events, trends and assumptions. The contributors consider the future of primary education, offer recommendations at school, LEA and national level, and make suggestions for future research. Changing Teaching and Learning in the Primary School emphasises the central importance of taking children’s perspectives into account when making changes in policy and practice. By focusing predominantly on teaching and learning at Key Stage 2, the book addresses the imbalance between the range and depth of information offered on pre-school and infant education and that available on junior teaching. This is key reading for students on primary initial teacher training programmes, Education Studies students, primary school teachers and classroom assistants, as well as education researchers and school leaders.

In his latest educational exposé, internationally acclaimed author and scholar, Professor David Hopkins, places established and emerging ideas about effective school and system improvement under scrutiny. Exploding the Myths of School Reform confronts real-world challenges and perspectives from research, policy and practice, and draws on international benchmarking studies to support its objectives and claims. With each of ten chapters addressing a perceptible fallacy - such as the myths that poverty determines performance, that achievement cannot be realised at scale, that innovation and networking always add value and that it is curriculum rather than learning that counts - this groundbreaking manifesto is set to provoke and persuade. Through its carefully structured narrative highlighting areas of universal concern, the book presents a compelling approach to school reform, designed to enhance not only academic performance, but also the potential for students to learn. Teachers, school leaders, directors, policy makers and researchers—educationalists from across the board—will find the instructive frameworks and 'codas' for systemic change at all levels disarmingly simple to understand and apply. The same values and strategies that uphold social equity are shown to also promote quality in teaching, strong system leadership, regional capacity building and whole school design. Replete with explanatory diagrams, Exploding the Myths of School Reform contributes with depth and precision to the contemporary debate about the direction of schools and school systems, the possibilities and issues most likely to be encountered by leaders today and tomorrow, and the means to instigate authentic and lasting reform.

Over the last few decades there have been attempts at planned educational change. The benefits have not equalled the cost. Fullan distils from these experiences lessons about how to cope with, and influence, educational change.

"Why does successful, enduring change beyond a few isolated schools continue to elude us? The fundamental problem, says editor Hargreaves, is that educational change is more complex and controversial than the change literature has recognized. In this book, Hargreaves and the other contributors move the dialogue about change beyond the technical aspects to three essential areas of teaching, learning, and leadership that have received only limited attention: the passion, purpose, and politics of change. Each chapter looks realistically but also optimistically at many of the complexities of change. In the first chapter, editor Hargreaves discusses the need for greater depth and breadth in our educational change efforts. In the next few chapters, authors explore the vital role of parents and communities in educational change efforts. Subsequent chapters stress the value of involving students in school improvement; suggest practical ideas for managing time differently; and discuss the importance of clear, measurable goals. Other authors look at alternative assessment practices, with a corresponding view of accountability. Additional topics include collaborative action research among teachers in their own schools around issues of professional interest to them, as well as ways that even wider collaborations, or networks, foster positive change. In another chapter, the authors ask whether what we know about school improvement applies to schools that are "failing" or seriously troubled. They examine the political as well as technical issues involved in designating a school as failing or troubled, arguing for more sophisticated ways of designation. The closing chapter expands on a theme of the opening one--the place of emotion in educational change--by discussing a second theme, that of hope, without which there is no commitment or optimism that children's lives can be made better.

Collaboration and networking have recently come to the fore as major school improvement strategies in a number of countries. A variety of initiatives, from government and other agencies, have encouraged collaboration and led to a lot of practical activity in this area. However, at present there are no texts in education that explore collaboration and networking from both a theoretical and practical perspective. In this book, we aim to provide a theoretical background to educational collaboration, drawing on research and theory in policy studies, psychology and sociology, leading ultimately to a typology of networks. This theoretical base will be tested in the discussion of a number of case studies referring to specific initiatives such as the Federations programme, multi-agency collaboration and Networked Learning Communities. Lessons for practice will be drawn and presented in terms of factors internal and external to the school. The key issue of network leadership will be addressed here as well.