Looking out to see within

So in the process of looking outward to see what else is out there in the world of education and in my impatience to get somewhere fast, I have actually, inadvertantly, learnt a lot about myself. Lately I have been restless and looking for a new challenge. When I feel this way I generally look for a total change and that is what I have been doing - checking out what else is out there and working out my options. I have visited numerous schools this year due to the TPL funding and I am looking at building design and pedagogy as well as curriculum innovation. Travelling to different schools has opened my eyes to two things. The first, how much more we could be doing at this school to provide innovative curriculum to our students by introducing some diverse and engaging activities. This is not to say that we are not doing anything - the BYTES program is going well, and many other schools are looking to this program for guidance in their own schools. But when I see what some of the truly innovative schools are achieving with their students, it makes me want to push for more here too. The second is the fact that it will be difficult for me to find a position in another school that has the sort of school culture and opportunities that I am used to. I want to be able to continue working in the area of curriculum innovation, ICT, learning spaces and program development, but there are not many opportunities out there in these areas. I am an impatient person and I want everything yesterday in some respects but I need to ensure that I don't cut off my nose despite my face. The opportunities that I have had lately at my school and the possibility of more to come have made me content to focus inward again and set my own plan into action, rather than looking somewhere else for motivation. I have taken stock of where I am, and in deciding that this school is where I want to be, at least for the next couple of years, I have been able to refocus my goals and my attentions to achieving change and innovation as best I can.
So the first goal, and it is a 6 month goal; is to re-develop BYTES so that when we move into the MERC (which is still not complete) we will be making the most of the learning space, making the most of the staff/student mentor relationship and making the most of the learning opportunities for the students. I am working on more of a fertile question/rich task model to redevelop the curriculum so that students are given the opportunity to explore learning for themselves and develop those skills we want them to have by the end of their schooling, that they are not really developing any other way.
So my plan is to:

• Get together with staff and look at the qualities and attributes that we want our students to have in BYTES by the end of the year.
• Have a workshop with current year 8 students to work out what it is that they are interested in learning so that we can develop fertile questions and tasks around these areas.
• Present our findings to the entire staff body so that we can get others on-board to be part of the curriculum rewriting and planning phase if they are interested and to keep people involved.
• Get together a curriculum writing team to plan and write the curriculum
• Work out the redesign of the organisation of BYTES to move us into the new facility

and the list will go on...

As well as that there is the possibility of the new building. If that goes ahead there is the possibility of having a major role in the building design and curriculum design due to the fact that I have been researching these things for the last 6 months. So rather than feeling stifled at the moment I feel that the possibilities are endless and that they really are what I make of them. It is all up to me.