Music has seven letters, writing has twenty six notes.
Let us compose a symphony of thought community together.
– Manoj Chandra Handa
Formative Assessment
Formative assessment is a dynamic, learner-centred process that enhances both teacher pedagogy and student learning. Formative assessment—often referred to as “assessment for learning”—is a powerful method for improving student learning. It is a process that takes place continuously during the course of learning to determine where the students need to go, where they are in the “developmental corridor” of their learning, and how best to get there (Heritage, 2010). Formative assessments make…
Building High Performance Teams
Teamwork makes the dream work. – John C. Maxwell Leaders often pose the question, “What is the best way to organise staff members to achieve high achievement outcomes?” Effective leaders build high performance teams when there is need for coordination or innovation. Success or failure of a project is not attributed to the sum of each individual’s efforts, but rather to the aligned efforts of the team (Hiebert & Klatt, 2001). Teamwork is the fuel that allows common…
Inspiring and Building Trust
Trust is the ’emotional glue’ that binds leaders and followers together.(Bennis & Nanus, 1985, p. 153) Trust presents a paradox in that it needs to be earned, but in order to be earned, it first has to be given. Covey (1992, p. 31) depicts trust as an emotional “bank account” in which people make deposits and withdrawals with one another. Trust, once broken, however is seldom restored. Trusting someone is like “holding a cup of water in your cupped hands—it [is] so easy to…
A More Beautiful Question: Elevating Thinking Among Gifted Learners
Always the beautiful answerwho asks a more beautiful question. – E. E. Cummings While higher-order thinking processes are effective for all learners, research in the education of gifted students shows that the power of inquiry is crucial for promoting their learning (VanTassel-Baska & Brown, 2007). Effective questioning as a deliberate strategy enhances gifted learners’ thinking, provides the means for exploring novel possibilities and meaning making, and challenges them to…
Maximising School and System Leadership: A Conversation with Professor Michael Fullan
We need leaderpreneurs and teacherpreneurs who innovate learning in partnership with students. – Manoj Chandra Handa Michael Fullan is Professor Emeritus of the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto, Canada. Professor Fullan is recognised as a worldwide authority on educational reform. During his Australia tour conducting a series of workshops on “Maximising Leadership for Change”, Professor Fullan generously conversed with me (formerly, I served…
Synectics: Creative Connection-Making
One must still have creative chaos in oneselfto be able to give birth to a dancing star.– Friedrich Nietzsche, German philosopher (1844-1900) Synectics has been described by its creator, William J. J. Gordon, as “the joining together of different and apparently irrelevant elements” (Gordon, 1961, p.5). The term Synectics, from the Greek “syn” and “ektos”, refers to the fusion of diverse ideas (Nolan, 2003, p. 25). The process of Synectics is a…
Student Voice – ‘What Makes a Truly Great Teacher?’
A great teacher affects eternity:she/he can never tell where her/his influence stops.~ Adapted from Henry Adams, The Education of Henry Adams, 1907 Gifted students are the lighthouses for their teachers in the classroom. As beacons of light, they shine brightly in the learning landscape. When the teachers engage with their students in an ongoing and authentic dialogue, the little Zen masters give honest and open feedback, and light the paths that their teachers traverse. Engaging with student…
Leading Change: A Change Equation
“We must be the changewe wish to see in the world.”– Mahatma Gandhi Leadership, at its core, is about leading change. The question is how we can attain sustainable, quality change in schools. The following change equation presents a framework for leading institutional reforms that endure. Sustainable Change = Big picture x Buy-in x Skills & tools x Manage risks x Action Equation variable Actions to take in this area 1. Big picture Develop a shared vision…
Creative Habits of Mind
We may accept finite limitations of logic, but we must never lose faith in the infinite possibilities that stem from developing creative habits of mind.~ Manoj Chandra Handa Creative habits of mind Creative people demonstrate some habits of mind that, taken together, form the acronym CREATE: Curiosity Risk-taking Embracing paradox and ambiguity Attentiveness and adaptability Thinking bigger Experimenting and problem-solving (Chandra Handa, 2012, 2014) Curiosity Creative practitioners…
Motivation Strategies for Parents
Positive parent-child relationships form an important background for academic motivation. Letting the children know that their parents think school is important and providing recognition for their effort and successes can motivate learning. Brown (2009), Martin (2003), Rimm (2007), and Siegle (2013) offer the following advice for instilling academic motivation among children: Encourage positive family relationships and responsibility Provide reasonable structure to help children become…
Recent Comments