Paul Stock – iNET Wales Programme Coordinator

1

Effective networking

‘Educational transformation demands networks of educators, schools, students, parents and support agencies. Networks facilitate the transfer of knowledge and practice and has the potential to make every teacher an innovator’ Hargreaves 2004

2

1.Agree the drivers of a successful GLP network

2.Overview of the lessons learnt from within SSAT and

iNet ‘school to school’ networks

3.Creating the right conditions for successful networking -

what you will do and how

Session Aims

Development Education in practice

Effective networking & leading global learning Name:School:

3

Effective networking & leading global learning

Notes to support My thoughts

Key drivers of a successful network:  •The importance of the focus •Collaboration is the key•Attitude to risk must be common across partner institutions•Evidencing impact and unpicking what is transferable

1.   2.

3.

What is a network? ‘A network….. is a group of organisations working together to solve problems or issues that are too large for any one organisation to handle on its own.’

Priscilla Wohlstetter, 2003

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5

Make a visual representation of a successful network

ACTIVITY

Network structures

Centralised

Decentralised

The 3 D’s Model

DecentralisedDisciplinedDistributed

But there was a 4th ‘D’ – Dialogue

The importance of the focus

• Lack of prescription from anyone

• A clear focus on classroom practice and/or

raising achievement encourages buy-in at all

levels

• Added value

Sharing Good Practice = haphazard scattering of pre-defined and well honed practice to possible adopters

Joint Practice Development

= teachers working closely together to improve practice beyond present quality, all within a far better distribution system

‘Learning new ways of working through mutual engagement that opens up and shares practice with others’ Michael Fielding et al. 2013

Consider JPD in GLP(W) networks• Working for common interests – select a priority area and an area

that is not working well• Using complimentary skills and expertise of the members of the

group• Brainstorm possible ways forward• Involve stakeholders• Be comfortable to ‘fail’ until some breakthrough is reached• Challenge and push for further innovation and development• Approach from the position of:

o What can I offer?o What do I want to learn?o What aspect of teaching and learning am I content with?o What can I offer a partner schools?o What can I learn from a partner school?o What aspect of teaching and learning are we content with?

Collaboration is key• Supports previous work in this area

• Collaboration needs to take place within the school and across the network

• Requires recognition of the mix of individuals

Attitude to risk must be common across partner institutions

• The greater the risk taken the greater the collaboration

• Sharing risk across a network

• Support from an external organisation can act as a catalyst

Low

Leverage

Exhaustion

Burn Out

Tokenism

High Leverage

Teacher energy

Low High

Impact

High

Low

• What is the added value for teachers?• What is the added value for students?• What are the transaction costs?• What are the opportunity costs?• Is there a danger of work overload?

Benefits and costs of networks

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Sharing what works: knowledge ‘transfer’

After Nonaka & Takeuchi, 1995

aaa

Dialogue

Learning by doing

Socializationsympathised knowledge

Externalizationconceptual knowledge

Internalizationoperational knowledge

Combinationsystemic knowledge

Tacit knowledge Explicit knowledge

to

from

Tacit knowledge

Explicit knowledge

Sharing experience Networking

Refine, enhance and embedStart with research

or idea Reflect and refine

Refine, enhance and embed Lead others

The LP pathway

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ACTIVITY-Fox’s Thinking Tool

How can you build and engage a network?(write on single card then present to group)

As a group agree the top five ideas and write in the middle of the doughnut

What can you do with the network? (write on single card then present to group)

As a group agree top 10 ideas and write on outside of doughnut

Networking Top Tips

• Types of Network• Establishing a Global Learning Network• Organising Network Meetings• Sustaining the Network• Celebrating the Network

Development Education in practice

Effective networking & leading global learning Name:School:

19

Effective networking & leading global learning

Notes to support My thoughts

Key drivers of a successful network:  •The importance of the focus •Collaboration is the key•Attitude to risk must be common across partner institutions•Evidencing impact and unpicking what is transferable

1.   2.

3.

20

1.Agree the drivers of a successful GLP network

2.Overview of the lessons learnt from within SSAT

and iNet ‘school to school’ networks

3.Creating the right conditions for successful

networking - what you will do and how

Session Aims