0:00:05so say your me in your at school getting ready to teach a class and
0:00:07you get another memorable
0:00:09well who knows what the memos about
0:00:11probably another meeting agenda or training similar they do want you to attend
0:00:15i while you're likely to learn something illuminating an innovative and maybe even life changing
0:00:19from the speaker talking at you you'll be away from work which means you'll have
0:00:22a lot to catch up on and the information you to in the seminar will
0:00:26be set aside as you focus on the stack of marking on your desk
0:00:30this memos about learning that works learning networks we've been here before remember liverpool in
0:00:36two thousand six one the local authority arranged all cd schools into ten different learning
0:00:40communities great idea put a sin predetermined groups and make us talk to each other
0:00:45but not about what we had for lunch or
0:00:47how the team last again their latest fashion trends
0:00:50note the focus was to be learning only
0:00:53which is fair suppose
0:00:55it is work after all the to start a connector the people in your group
0:00:57when all you know about them is they're pedagogical philosophy
0:01:01so they formed a committee to figure out how to let you just talk to
0:01:04each other a big committee with senior management and people with chance you titles this
0:01:09committee would oversee the learning network
0:01:11the once established participants could go ahead and create programs allow teachers to talk
0:01:16about learning
0:01:18only learning
0:01:21a researcher named mark o'brien along with some of his colleagues interviewed the learning network
0:01:25coordinators
0:01:26and sensor based head gestures are were supposed to circulate the question is to everyone
0:01:30else
0:01:30some did but others didn't for good reasons probably like protecting us from extra work
0:01:35or maybe the answer going to be have we don't know
0:01:38but only sixteen percent of the stuff responded
0:01:41they wanted to see what we thought about the learning network then what the network
0:01:44meant to us o'brien read and sort of and categorise responses and wrote an interim
0:01:48report in two thousand six making for broad observations about or attitudes first turns out
0:01:54a bunch of educators in general but had masters in particular really believe these learning
0:01:58networks were just part of the government's plan to get reelected
0:02:01second or no one is yet prove and the learning that were correctly contributes to
0:02:05individual student achievement
0:02:07there are benefits for schools as a whole
0:02:09lots of respondents starts improving student achievement was the motivation behind implementation
0:02:15third we're not likely gonna use the learning that work for short term stuff like
0:02:18getting help with next period science class but most of us to think it will
0:02:22be good for long-term professional about
0:02:24whether and learning network magically transform schools and or something marvellous or not
0:02:29most are gonna
0:02:30for had masters it seems are more sceptical the most especially those and secondary schools
0:02:36they just know that despite the presence of big steering committee
0:02:38they're the ones all have to sell it in the schools even if they are
0:02:41real clear on the learning networks purpose well some got on board with their staff
0:02:45of it is weighted to see what would happen
0:02:47for everyone time away from customers an issue
0:02:50so what we learn
0:02:52the liverpool learning that work fell from the top down onto teachers tasks
0:02:56well educated squatted it to work and we're hopeful that the initiative would make it
0:02:59is better teachers and the students better learners there was still viewed with scepticism
0:03:04o'brien and his colleagues learn from this experience that when it comes to creating a
0:03:08better experience for teachers and students that ownership and independence and self determination are important
0:03:13element so learning network
0:03:15he suggests that if we ever do this again our learning network should have clearly
0:03:19defined purpose and embody the noble values of
0:03:22cost
0:03:23openness and integrity
0:03:29well as around this time the social media and web two point had infiltrated daily
0:03:34life
0:03:34no social media has a whole lot of stuff not about learning
0:03:38but a bunch of university types callers got hold of it and without correction or
0:03:41mandate started using to it is one hundred forty characters to do serious stuff
0:03:46terms of social media can be whatever we wanted to be and these colours turned
0:03:50it into a learning network
0:03:52in twenty ten george fella stanno scott on twitter and create a bunch of academics
0:03:56to find out how the use twitter for their own professional learning
0:04:00in order to be creep or the this color had to be a phd employed
0:04:03by higher education institutions with an active public putter profile and at least two thousand
0:04:08followers not your typical tweak to be sure but the kind of twitter user that
0:04:12could shed light on exactly how social networks could be used as learning that works
0:04:16well as channels had several researchers can through sort and categorize the last one hundred
0:04:21weights from each of the forty five scholars in studied you found that we it's
0:04:25generally served seven functions sharing things with each other accessing learning opportunities getting or giving
0:04:31advice
0:04:32personal and professional branding activities networking with others bridging other social media platforms
0:04:38and sharing trivial personal details
0:04:41well as the teachers would love to be able to do this more regularly but
0:04:44never get the time to
0:04:45and these callers were doing it all and twitter on their own time without anyone
0:04:49telling them they had to one how
0:04:52those channels even acknowledge the contributions of three field weights to making connections with others
0:04:57sharing personal details publicly ads dimensionality to the online persona your i'm listening to be
0:05:03realized we might make me more likely to talk with you now that i know
0:05:07you like were allows to
0:05:08one thing leads to eleven in the next thing you know we're collaborating on research
0:05:12proposals
0:05:14well as dallas recognise that when the learning network is controlled by the individual it
0:05:18has great capacity for change and specialisation
0:05:21the twitter learning network and morph with the needs of the user meaning that i
0:05:25can get what i need when i need it and i don't need to feel
0:05:28guilty about telling everyone about the possible much had
0:05:32so well as tamils found out what network learners are doing on twitter rory see
0:05:36found out why network learners find it so valuable
0:05:40in twenty thirteen c had a brainstorming session with thirty four academics with self directed
0:05:45learning that works but because took place on twitter he called at eight great storm
0:05:49get it brainstorm to each time
0:05:52wonder why they didn't just brainstorming person maybe they can get the time off to
0:05:56ten meetings so they just we did during the day from mark
0:05:59c was interested in the networks social relationships yet participants describe the other people and
0:06:04then that works do they were how close they were what you learn from them
0:06:08and however they connect you found that almost half or described as both colleagues and
0:06:12friends and the top mostly output or email or face to face
0:06:17in that we start everyone talk about why they got involved with learning networks what
0:06:21they liked about it and why they think it's affective
0:06:24like those channels see sort of organised and categorize the tweaks an identified seven factors
0:06:29contributing to professional learning
0:06:31one is that they liked sharing
0:06:33there is the ask take about the social aspects of learning define valuable information and
0:06:38resources in the network they get feedback on their ideas and they learn things from
0:06:42the each other and they feel a sense of trust and support and the connections
0:06:46are good and intelligent people
0:06:48c says that learning that works even on social media rely on the intrinsic rewards
0:06:53of given take
0:06:54what's different with social media as we can include people both near and far socially
0:06:58closer distance in the self managed learning that work that's integrated into our daily practise
0:07:09so that are this mammal learning that works it's as management is now taking a
0:07:13grassroots bottom-up approach to creating learning networks
0:07:17this is either very ironic or very clever
0:07:21the basing this new approach on two thousand eleven research by irene handy it's and
0:07:25her colleagues channellised interviews of several people with experience facilitating professional learning that works and
0:07:31identified five broad challenges
0:07:34knowing the roles in interventions required to initiate learning network
0:07:38making it meaningful
0:07:39developing digital communication skills
0:07:42spurring independence and finding a balance between online and in person engagement
0:07:47so the memos about management a new understandings and approaches to learning that works and
0:07:52their incorporating solutions identified by hand it's
0:07:55the learning that works will be independent and self directed i get the say what
0:07:59i want to learn and the facilitator will work with me to make initial connections
0:08:03with people and content that will help me meet those needs
0:08:06the learning that works will be integrated into daily practise on the facilitator will help
0:08:11me make time in my day to participate
0:08:14the learning networks will use my choice of communication technology to connect and collaborate with
0:08:19people both inside and outside the organisation
0:08:22the facilitator will even work with me to develop effective communication skills and social media
0:08:27and find opportunities for face-to-face meetings with some of the people in my learning network
0:08:31no mandates no direct those no restrictions on topics this new approach the memo says
0:08:37is an effort to nurture climate of learning throughout the organisation
0:08:41sounds like it has what the liverpool exercise was missing
0:08:44ownership autonomy degrees of self direction
0:08:47trust
0:08:48openness and then take pretty i think i'm gonna like this