Shine Magazine, Issue 9, October 2009 - Department of Education ...

The Big Day In for principals was an overwhelming success,
with events held at 30 venues across the state on Friday
14 August. The day replaced the previous statewide Big
Day Out to reflect the new network structure and the role
of Regional Network Leaders (RNLs). Some regions and networks
hosted the day at a common venue, while others held their event at
separate venues across the region.
Minister for Education, Bronwyn Pike, attended the Eastern
Metropolitan Region’s event at Etihad Stadium. “The move from
the Big Day Out to 68 network-centred Big Days In reflects the
increased maturity of the system and government’s expectations
that the RNLs and network principals will be the key units
driving school improvement,” she said. Ms Pike also attended the
Banyule and Nillumbik networks’ event at Heidelberg Golf Club
in the Northern Metropolitan Region. Professor Richard Elmore
attended the Macedon Ranges Network Big Day In, together
with Office for Government School Education (OGSE) Deputy
Secretary Darrell Fraser and School Improvement Division’s
General Manager Judy Petch.
The theme of the Big Day In was ‘A Profession with a Practice’, which
built on the work of the recent RNL Institute. Principals received a
copy of Professor Elmore’s book Instructional Rounds in Education prior
to the event for pre-reading, and all networks spent time discussing the
process of instructional rounds and how these might be used within the
network to support school improvement.
Oberon PS assistant principal Andrew Augerinos and
BSW regional director Grant Rau take the opportunity
to chat with Premier John Brumby.
The theme of the Big Day In was ‘A
Profession with a Practice’, which built on
the work of the recent RNL Institute.
Julie Baker, assistant regional director (ARD) school improvement
for the Loddon Mallee Region, attended a Big Day In at Mildura:
“It was absolutely fantastic. We noticed in our region that there
was a deeper level of conversation among our principals. I was very
proud of the RNLs and the preparation they put in to make sure
everything went smoothly,” she said.
Mark Thompson, RNL for the Nillumbik Network in the Northern
Metropolitan Region, agrees that it was a significant day that provided
opportunity to look closely at teacher practice and how to stay in the
descriptive mode when making observations.
“Conversation was generated about how to improve instruction across
the network. Principals were able to spend time and effort on the
activities provided, and to discuss school improvement in their own
network,” he said.
RNLs Janet Gill-Kirkman and Jan Gregory ran a sub-regional event
for the Southern Hume Network and The Ranges Network at Euroa,
and included their ARD school improvement David Cummins, as
well as Student Wellbeing General Manager Ian Claridge and OGSE
executive coordinator Mark Brear.
“We modelled the day on what Richard Elmore did with us at the
RNL Institute – we used the same videos and the same learning
framework and it worked! We had a very hands-on, very collaborative
day that was extremely successful and worthwhile,” Ms Gill-Kirkman
says. “Our principals were really engaged and had a readiness for the
next level of learning. It was fabulous.”
Ms Gill-Kirkman says she is now working with principals to use the
methods of observation that were covered in the Big Day In. “We
learned that practice is very important, and our regional team of seven
RNLs and the two ARDs have all made a commitment to complete
instructional rounds early in Term 4,” she says.
left to right: Belmont PS principal Mark Arkinstall,
Montpellier PS principal Russell Koehler, Rollins PS
principal Steve McGarrigle, and North Geelong SC
principal Allan White get down to business.
OGSE’s Deputy Secretary Darrell Fraser participates
in the marshmallow challenge during the Macedon
Ranges Network Big Day In. Participants used skewers,
marshmallows, Blu-Tack and sticky notes to create a
sculpture representing a network.