Recognising and celebrating the Key Competencies (Week 2)

Leadership in Digital & Collaborative Learning (LDC) - Reflective practice and Key Competencies in leading

Week 2 Task: 

• Reflect: How might teachers’ strengths in developing capabilities in thinking, using language, symbols and texts, managing self, relating to others, and participating and contributing, be recognised and celebrated?
• Reflect: How might students’ capabilities in thinking, using language, symbols, and texts, managing self, relating to others, and participating and contributing, be recognised and celebrated?

Questions that need answering from the online form:
Personal KC strengths: 

• Relating to others
• Participating and Contributing
• Managing Self
• Using language, symbols and texts

Which KC's to develop:

• Thinking
• Managing Self (by creating a balance between work and personal life)

How does your own KCs have an impact on your leadership?

• 'Relating to others': Positive relationships are essential to interact effectively and to go beyond the traditional bounds of leadership. To me the key to connecting with others is dialogue. I think it is important to genuinely listen to someone else's point of view. Most importantly you have to remember that you are working with a person. (A previous post 'Don't take it  personally' - Really? explained this more).
• 'Participating and Contributing': Many, many years ago, my Personal Learning Network (PLN) used to consist only of school staff. Now I am actively involved in communities like Educamps, Education Conferences, the Virtual Learning Network, Twitter, Google+, N4L Pond and many more. I found all these tools to be valuable for making connections with others and can't imagine a more creative way to discuss the needs for future focus learning with fellow professionals and cherish the opportunity of having teachers and school leaders working together locally as well as globally.
• 'Managing Self': I not only use my PLN to help me with my wondering, to help me grow as a leader and also as a LEARNER, but also find that setting personal goals and high standards are essential for self-motivation.
• 'Using language, symbols and texts': By using technologies, I do think that I am providing information and communicate with others by expressing my personal view and ideas.

How does your own KCs help you to create an environment and activities that foster your students' KCs?

Being a role model and by modelling a 'Growth Mindset', I show that I am always learning.

Related Media:

• Mary Anne Murphy links the key competencies with the skills and qualities of leadership.
• The 8 Mindframes John Hattie think we all need.

Now for the reflection...

• Reflect: How might teachers’ strengths in developing capabilities in thinking, using language, symbols and texts, managing self, relating to others, and participating and contributing, be recognised and celebrated?

In one of Dr Vikram Murthy's 'Voyager: Collaborative inquiry and Collective wisdom' sessions [that I am also involved in] we learnt about 'Signature Strengths' (which refers to those character strengths that are most essential to who we are). So, when you 'transform' your job to use your strengths and virtues more often, your work becomes more enjoyable and it will transform into a calling (which is the most satisfying form of work, because it is done for its own sake rather for the material benefit it might bring) Therefore, it should be quite easy to celebrate and recognise the outcome of how capabilities are being developed when using the Key Competencies and their impact on teaching and learning when all this is taken in consideration [I think].

• Reflect: How might students’ capabilities in thinking, using language, symbols, and texts, managing self, relating to others, and participating and contributing, be recognised and celebrated?

Recognise students with awards in assembly, celebrate achievements, praise by using positive phrases and even a thumbs up accompanied with a smile.

~ "Learners are most likely to develop and strengthen their capabilities for living and learning when they learn with teachers in a school whose leadership creates conditions that stimulate key competencies." - NZC online