What would learning tourism look like?

Imagine if visitors emerged from the airport to be greeted to the ‘Christchurch campus.’ They might come to jump start their learning. They may have just finished an online degree and just want to have a place to argue about their ideas. Christchurch could be transformed into a place of scholarship and learning, passion and delight – a place where tourists would come to collaborate, engage and immerse themselves in thinking.

In the past, businesses have focused on ‘training’, appointing training managers to develop, induct, supervise and manage employees. This focus is disappearing, to be replaced with the concept of a learning organisation, a knowledge economy and life long learning.

We have the opportunity to attract people who understand the complex nature of the world and want to explore learning in more depth: “They need to learn to cope with the unexpected – and Christchurch is the perfect place.” People could come to learn strategies for coping with change, to explore innovation and to use information communication technologies to stretch their thinking.

Stephen Heppell quotes England as having 2.2 million jobs that are online. One in seven are working from home. In Christchurch, the number working from home, or connecting online, has increased too. The Christchurch Campus could be the heart of online learning and of online working. With ultra fast broad band focused on learning principles we could provide worldwide expertise in the best models of home hubbing, hot desking and digital collaboration. As new spaces are designed we could become world leaders in flexible design for learning organisations.

What would it take?

For Christchurch to be a world leader in learning it would require leaders across the city and beyond to do things from a coherent systems perspective, following agreed principles of learning: learner-focused, future focused, system coherent and sustainable. It would require educators to collaborate for a greater good and to explore new ways of working across networks. “You won’t do it by rebuilding education in the old way.”

Building on Stephen’s ideas, I think there are some opportunities we should consider:

1. Set up a Young Learner’s Commission. Get a group of young learners to look around the works and intereview people who are already doing great things in learning. This group would be representative of all student groups and develop an initial structure of student researchers who would listen to the voices of their peers. Learning designed by young learners, for young learners, with input from experts.
2. Run a series of educational events, starting with a conference, forum or TEDx for ideas to be explored and developed.
3. Establish an independent learning taskforce to work with the Ministry of Education, Christchurch City Council, CERA and government to develop ideas with all stakeholders. Resource this and ensure that all city developments are made with learning in mind.
4. The Ministry of Education should set up an innovation learning unit that supports schools to try new ideas and make it easy for them to explore ways of working with each other for the benefit of all students. This should be trialled in Christchurch as a demonstration hub.

We could make a start on this before the end of the year. It will take leadership and commitment – I think it is worth it.

“…and in doing so you could rebuild your city, rebuild your future, rebuild your economy and rebuild the excitement and enthusiasm for learning. It’s a no brainer really.”

Over the next few posts, I will be making links to some of the models that might become reality. Some of these ideas link to the Concept Plan developed by our Shaking Up Christchurch Education (SUCE) network. The plan provides one scenario based on the idea of learning hubs, a federated learning model and schools that might specialise and collaborate.

Another model to consider is the Studio School, as explained in a recent TED Talk. Geoff Mulgan describes the work of The Young Foundation, an organisation that melds insights, innovation and entrepreneurship together to explore new possibilities. The question they asked was: ”What kind of schools would teenagers fight to get in to not fight to stay out?” They developed a model of small schools that linked learning to the real world, with students engaged in authentic learning opportunities, and where relationships were key. Doesn’t sound new does it? And of course it’s not but it is not pervasive in education. Should it be? Check out the TED Talk and decide for yourself.

I am interested in Geoff’s final comments about ideas spreading through the use of networks. This is certainly a way in which tribes are grown and ideas are amplified. We should never underestimate the power of networks.

There are other schools that may have some common features. Check out:

• Urban Village Schools in the UK – focusing on developing relationships and meeting the needs of disaffected youth.
• Denmark Folkeskoles

What other models have you come across? In what ways do they support learning? Of whom?

The Ministry of Education is about to engage in a process of consultation with the Christchurch community and we hope this document will provide a catalyst for action. We have also submitted a response to the Christchurch City Council Draft Plan and will submit some of our thinking to the CERA plan.

Vision is needed. Leadership is needed. Collaboration across the network is needed. Let’s get on with it.

Shaken But Standing

Here are just a few or the common themes:

What should Christchurch Education start doing:

• Thinking more globally about the city’s education system – more cooperation, consistency and interaction across sectors
• Being more future focused in its education, using research and examples from other places, with a local flavour
• Use information communication technologies in a city wide approach

What should Christchurch Education keep doing:

• Supporting and networking
• Focusing on student needs and building relationships to support these needs

What should Christchurch Education stop doing?

• Focusing on what school you went to,  zoning and decile ratings
• Working for the good of individual institutions rather than the whole community

I think there is a real opportunity for the city to develop its educational vision further rather than leave things to chance. This needs to start with the draft Christchurch City Plan and the opportunities for education in the inner city area. What has been considered for the schools in this area? How can links be grown between CPIT, EPIC and schools? What bus services will be of most use? How can the city regrowth support learning?

Following the earthquakes that have rocked Christchurch, I set up a facebook page called Three Christchurch Blessings to focus on the things that went well for the day. This is one example of positive psychology. We can use such ideas to create new connections that addict us to the self maintenance of well being.

This positive self leadership absolutely has a flow on effect. Neuroscientists have identified the importance of mirror neurons, where our neurons mirror the behaviour of others, as if we were experiencing the event first hand. Emotions are catchy! Therefore, how we conduct our lives matters not only in our own history, but also in its influence on others.

In his latest book, Flourish: A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well-being, Dr Martin Seligman describes the importance of PERMA in focusing your own leadership positively. He describes these five endeavours as follows:

P – Positive Emotion – this is about life satisfaction and positive emotion. From the leadership perspective this is linked with the way in which we talk with others, especially the ratio of positive to negative comments.

E – Engagement - this relates to a sense of flow. Leaders can explore their greatest strengths and use these strengths in times of challenge to engage with the ideas and issues.

R – Relationships - focsuing on what works and doing more of it. For example, what do you do to celebrate success in your organisation? Is it active and constructive? How could you do more of that?

M – Meaning – belonging to or serving something bigger than yourself. How does your positive leadership expand beyond ‘you’ and make a difference?

A – Achievement - this is developed best through the determination to succeed, to never give up, rather than academic IQ.

Seligman describes some of these ideas in more depth in the video below. It’s not the most capturing of presentations, but you can’t go past the fact that he knows his stuff and has lots of research to back up his work. Positive leadership is a requirement for survival.

“We need to be psychologically fit, as well as physically fit.”

In the late 1990’s the then Minister of Education, Trevor Mallard, took a step towards moving schools into the 21st century by allowing Discovery One School to open in Christchurch. It was, for a conservative Ministry, a bold step and it took many people beyond their comfort zone. Twelve years on the school is well established and the school’s community is enjoying and benefiting from the educational opportunities available in the wider learning environment.

The Canterbury Earthquakes have presented another opportunity for bold leadership in education. The rebuilding of Christchurch has focused on the redevelopment of the central business district, the restoration of the infrastructure serving the city and the relocation and welfare of the people whose homes have been ruined in the series of earthquakes. The Ministry of Education, school boards, principals and their teaching staff have been focusing on the restoration of ‘business as usual’ in the education sector. There have been huge demands placed on the education system at all levels and the fact that schools are functioning so well should be acknowledged and the efforts of all concerned applauded.

However, beyond the need to have schools functioning again is the growing concern for the long term outlook for education for Christchurch, particularly in the eastern suburbs. Schools have suffered in many ways; their communities have been severely dislocated and, in some cases, dismantled and are disappearing; their buildings and campus sites have been badly affected by liquefaction and structural damage; their governing and managing bodies have been stretched to the limit coping with the need to have schools functioning again while coping with their own personal circumstances.

The projected roll outlook for Christchurch indicates that some schools may no longer be economic units and may face closure. An assessment of the pre-earthquake situation reveals that there has always been a number of schools at different levels struggling in Christchurch for a variety of reasons. Throw in the extra dimensions of new housing developments, the relocation of a number of families, and importantly, the growing acknowledgement of the demands of 21st century learning and information technology developments, and there emerges a platform for reassessment about how we do things in Christchurch.

A simple ‘worst-case’ scenario would be for the Ministry to simply close some schools and amalgamate others. Some schools would disappear and some would get bigger but effectively, nothing would have changed and the opportunity for real progress would have been lost.

A ‘best-case’ scenario would see political and personal interests laid aside and a ‘think tank’ of knowledgeable people gather together to present a blueprint for education in Christchurch. They could address the need to educate our children in a seamless system which encompasses health and welfare issues as well being responsible for delivering an appropriate education system for our children as they emerge into the 21st century workforce and life generally. They could address the types of school campuses which would best meet this need by utilising current space and buildings in a more efficient way. This would reduce the need for unproductive competition between schools and ensure that children are coming first in our thoughts. They could address the governance and management systems presently utilised and adapt them so that greater efficiencies become evident which, in turn, would lead to better performance in schools.

They could address the impact of information communication technologies and present ways in which current and future systems can be used for the benefit of pupils and staff. They could communicate with communities who are presently connected with the education system in a remote and/or fractured way and who sometimes feel disenfranchised by the ways we have worked in the past.

They could also explore issues such as middle schooling; kindergartens and primary schools on the same campus site; single sex education in separate schools but with shared infrastructure; and the establishment of learning hubs and resource centres to support the needs of all our children.

Other innovative issues might include flexible enrolments enabling students to pursue studies at other educational facilities, transport networks to facilitate flexibility, and establishing more effective partnerships in the teacher training programmes.

There are examples of such schemes and community projects all over the world. The need for a physical rebuild of our schools in Christchurch has presented us with a unique opportunity to develop some exciting strategies within a responsible fiscal framework. We have the expertise and the knowledge within our community to formulate such plans. The research, the knowledge, the many examples of excellent practice are out there waiting to be tapped into, co-ordinated and manifested into a transformed, modern, effective system.

“Preparing for 21st century learning” has become an outdated catch-cry. We are 11% through this century already. Are the Government and the people of Christchurch going to waste the chance to really seize this opportunity and work collaboratively to prepare an educational environment the people of Christchurch can be proud of? Will be catatonic or catalytic?

My latest thinking revolves around the impact that the Christchurch earthquakes have had on our local education system. What if we took looked at this as an opportunity to grow a new vision for education in Christchurch? What are the possibilities? How can we take the best of what we already have and create something that is world class, and considers the needs of all students?

Deloitte’s Talent Edge 2020 Survey reinforces the importance of developing leaders within our organisation, and recognises retention, succession planning, career pathways and learning opportunities as important talent strategies. It is increasingly difficult with a diverse workforce to meet the needs of all. Yet having a strong organisational learning culture and a commitment to action helps.  The Deloitte survey found that:

“Companies with retention plans in place are moving beyond anxiety and taking action.”

Retention implies that leaders have found out what is important to their workforce and have designed their learning programs and incentives with this in mind. They have listened to needs, asked questions, adjusted their programs and monitored progress. At the same time they have provided challenge to employees; and engaged their minds as well as their hearts.
Where to start? Move beyond anxiety and take action.

Each day for the next week talk to at least one staff member about how their work is going:

The main focus is on interacting with staff on a regular basis and then following up with action. This is a 365 day of the year process rather than an annual survey – start with one week and keep it going. Retention happens when staff are engaged through having their needs met. And for that to happen leaders need to spend more time listening, and inquiring into staff needs.

Let’s be clear, I’m not talking about staff always getting what they want, the staff telling the boss what to do, the boss pandering to every staff whim and not having an opinion. I’m talking about the leader of the organisation or team being ‘present’, walking the work environment and developing a deep understanding of those they serve. I’m talking about the leader following up. I’m talking about the leader as a credible influencer of talent.