This year I am launching a series of ebooks to explore these developing technologies. The first of these is a series on Talking the Walk: Walking the Talk. These are for educators who wish to use a learning walk process to develop their pedagogical leadership skills. Aspects of the Kiwi Leadership for Principals that are highlighted in this book include relationships (since these underpin learning walks) and the power of context. Leading change, problem solving, culture, pedagogy, systems and awhinatanga are also key strands throughout this book series. Talking the Walk: Walking the Talk also relates well to the Leads Other for Learning section of the ACEL Leadership Capability framework which you may also want to explore further.

Talking the Walk: Walking the Talk experiments with flip book technology, giving the look and sound of the pages of a book as they turn over. You can read it online or download as a pdf. Adding embedded audio and video will be the next stage in my learning. If you come across new ideas and tools that I could use please let me know. Ebooks are on the rise!

You will find more information about the content of  my first ebook on the News! page and can place orders at the Store.

This Online interactive eBook explains the process of future learning walks – the process of walking through learning environments in ways that encourage deep thinking about learning and teaching. If you want to develop your school’s conversations about learning then this book is for you. There are five more books in this series, to be released in 2010. Click onto the book cover to the left to see two pages from the eBook. For more information on the book’s content check out the News!

At the end of the Paypal purchasing process click on the link that takes you back to the Think Beyond website. You will be redirected to a secure website page containing the interactive eBook.

IMPORTANT – Please make sure that you save the eBook website page to your bookmarks so that you can access it again once purchased. If you do happen to forget or lose the website address contact us directly and we will be in touch to ‘reconnect’ you with this great publication.

The weblink allows you to view the pages as a flipbook, to download the book in pdf format and to print pages as you navigate through the book. This is a high quality ebook production created to meet the emerging ebook market.

AUD $19.95

The Christchurch earthquakes have devastated a whole range of infrastructures regarded as vital components for a community to survive successfully. One of the key components of this infrastructure is our education system and, following the earthquakes, this has been seriously compromised. At the same time there are now new possibilities and opportunities.

In response to this a group of independent consultants, educators and business people have started networking to discuss a compelling vision for education in Christchurch. At the moment we have called ourselves the Shaking Up Christchurch Education Network.

The purpose of the network

As a group of independent educational leaders:

• To seek and present solutions for the delivery of education in a manner recognising the needs of future learners, initially in the eastern Christchurch suburbs, and eventually in all Christchurch area schools.
• To present realistic solutions that will improve educational outcomes for all children.

In achieving this purpose we consider the following factors to be key in influencing the establishment of schools and the ways they function: physical resources, teaching/teacher resources, technology advancement, school/campus design, leadership/governance, connecting with community, and fiscal capability.

There is a need to take action not just talk. Action is needed sooner rather than later.

Who are we?

The initial group that met:

Lois Christmas, Maureen Doherty, Cheryl Doig, David Duffy, Donna Frame, Gillian Heald, Ali Hughes, Carol Moffatt, Denis Pyatt, Chris Reece and Derek Wenmoth. Since then, some are focused more on supporting the current needs of education, while others are working to develop a longer term coherency to education in Christchurch. We see education as a key driver for the creation of a vibrant city which is economically strong, cares for its people and leads for the future.

We are not an exclusive group. We started because we saw a need and an opportunity to network beyond the group, to start the conversation and to develop an action plan. There are many others that are part of the network -you being one of them! This is about growing some ideas that are so compelling we create a new reality. Between us we have a deep knowledge of education, a passion for the city and a belief that leadership in education is crucial. We have started the conversation.

What is our plan?

Since this first meeting we have met with a number of key stakeholders, run an initial blue skies session and have developed a Concept Plan for discussion.

View the plan