Power Over - Power To: Looking at leadership with MDTAs.

The Manaiakalani Digital Teachers Academy is a programme running within the Tamaki Cluster of schools in the development of digitally capable teachers at BT level.  The Manaiakalani Education Trust has teamed up with Auckland University to work together in producing a practical/theory based beginning teacher PLD model to strengthen the output of new teachers into digitally immersed learning environments.  This is the first year of the programme, and while there are teething issues to be ironed out, the bones of the vision are extremely promising.
This semester, I am involved in the 'Introduction to Educational Leadership' paper with John Roder at AU.  I am currently working on my second assignment which is based around the different types and stages of leadership with a focus on 'Power'.  I have found that throughout my readings, I am constantly reflecting back on the MDTA programme and have decided that this will be the context of my assignment.  The purpose of my assignment is not so much to critique the programme itself, but to investigate the 'Powers' afforded to the key stakeholders and the affects this has on all involved.  I will be examining power in terms of leadership, empowering, disempowering, power over vs power to and ideas beyond the binary of power - i.e shared power/distributed power.

So, with this direction in mind, I am critically reflecting through questioning and have framed a number of questions: where does the balance of leadership lie within the programme?  With the mentor, with the schools SMT, within Manaiakalani, with lecturers at AU?  How much 'power' do the MDTAs have with regard to the development of the programme?  How much real autonomy do the MDTAs have in their day to day running of a classroom?  What power plays are at work between the stakeholders at the chalkface?  What styles of leadership are more dominant as the programme roles out?...(this is just a taste - I have many more questions, the list is added to every time I read a new article!)
I will be using a number of articles in reference to my findings including Sergiovanni, Bromfenbremmer, Lingard, Fullen, Timperly and Robertson to name a few.   I think this will be a great opportunity for me to reflect on 'how' this programme has been led and to examine my role as a school leader within the programme. In a change context...what would I do differently - isn't hindsight a great thing!

Now....where's that article I was reading....

A trip to Japan...Oh, the possibilities!

This week, we received a letter in the mail inviting our school to apply for the 2015 APCC project and send up to six students to Fukuoka Japan for the Asian Pacific Children's Convention.
We are very excited to be applying for this opportunity and are hard at work filling in the application and putting a process in motion for students to apply for a chance to be one of the six students who, should we win a place at the convention, will attend on our behalf.
I know at that end of the day, that any student we select from Tamaki Primary School would do us proud at this convention.  The chance to mix with a range of like minded students at an international event, in a completely new and different environment is a once in a lifetime opportunity.  For many of our students, an event like this is something they could only dream of and yet they share the same potential, same dreams, same aspirations as other children who through their good fortune of being born into a life of ample opportunity, are given these experiences as they grow up.  
In a previous life, I taught at a private school in the Pacific Islands who regularly had students selected to attend the conferences.  Each year, at least two children from our school would go and what an experience they would have.  I remember tears of joy from one student who couldn't believe she could be so lucky as to be picked to go to Japan.  These types of opportunities are very rare and even more rare for a young Pasifika student to experience.
The benefits of these events are immense and should not be underestimated.  To have their eyes opened to new experiences, new foods, new cultures, new environments, new languages and to forge new friendships is life changing for many.   Our school recently took a group of students to Waitangi on an all expenses paid 4 day excursion to learn about the history of Waitangi and the role the treaty has had in the formation of our nation.  This was sponsored by Westpac and was the 'trip of a lifetime' for the students and teachers involved.
It's wonderful to know that there are organisations out there that are pushing the envelope for the sake of 'all children' - poverty or not - providing experiences for those who don't always get the opportunities some take for granted, and to see that there is a big wide world out there and no-one is confined to their circumstances growing up. 
My fingers are crossed that our students are accepted to participate at this conference and get the opportunity to represent.