DISQUS

Very interesting. What do you think the consequences would be on attainment in Maths if setting was removed at NBHS - especially in S1/2?

Brian/Robert

I'll follow this up

Don

You counted them all out and you counted them all back - well done and thanks.

Great work with Scotedublogs.

Neil - you beat me to it - break two!! On second thoughts don't go snow-boarding!

It's only through someone like yourself that we can encourage teachers and others to keep blogs - any other form of "encouragement" from people like myself carries with it the implication of direction and imposition. There will be a tipping point out there but we do have a long way to go - if I can help in any way..........

I'd just like to thank everyone for participating in this discussion.

The key to developing our practice is to try to see a problem through other people's eyes - this discussion translates that intention into a reality.

We're all in this together - but people should be free to challenge existing practice as long as they have a regard for other people's feelings, take account of some of the constraints which shape existing practice; and adopt a solution-focussed approach. Factors which generally characterise this discussion.

I intend to table this discussion at our next Education ICT Strategic Group - with a view to exploring further some of the suggestions.

I agree that people's perceptions about hierarchy do influence how they communicate. However, I think we need to actively this challenge this notion of hierarchy. For me the only difference between myself and anybody else in the organisation is that I have a different level of accountability, but I'd argue that accountability is different from power, i.e. I could be held responsible if you did something bad professionaly - you wouldn't be held responsible if I did something bad.

I reckon that if we all share the same goals and intentions then it's up to me to enable people to participate as equals in the change process as opposed to them being told what to do by the leader.

I do subscribe to the SNAFU principle i.e. if leaders are disconnected from reality then there is very little likelihood of change being successfully implemented. That's why it's so important that I read other people's blogs - and why it's important that they are honest, whilst at the same taking into account people's feelings and attempting to see both sides of every issue.

Last point - reversed hierarchies? see

http://www.exc-el.org.uk/content/index.php/main...

I'd hope that people can be honest about how they feel but with regard for other people's feelings. Having a blog doesn't mean that it gives you the right to have a go at will. Having kept a blog about professional issues for over two years I haven't felt compromised by having to take account of other's feelings, yet, I hope, raising some important and challenging issues. For me the guideline has to be mutual respect.

If it's just about asking about why something isn't working, or suggesting a better way of doing something then I believe that should be encouraged and there are lots of examples in Exc-el of practice being influenced by such comments. If we can create such an open culture then people are much less likely to feel the need to sound off just to release some steam!!!