Children and Schools Today: Changing Times

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Children and Schools Today Changing Times

• Challenges
• Opportunities
• CEC North Shore Training, February 2007

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OVERVIEWChallenges and Opportunities

• Our Children Today
• Our Schools Today
• Our Future in Schools

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Our Children Today

• So what is different from when you were a child?
• What has changed in the way they behave and how
  you had to behave?
  
• How is their child world so different from our
  childhood world?
  
• Discuss then share

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Children are more confident and self assured

• Implications
• The now generation instant gratification
• They are more confident and expect more freedom
• More outgoing and challenging
• They can be more demanding and materialistic
• Their range of choices is amazing

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The children come from varying backgrounds

• Implications
• Boundaries set may vary greatly and not always
  followed
  
• Parents often spend less time with their
  children
  
• Varying family care circumstances (solo, joint
  care, joined families etc)
  
• Most come from secular homes
• Only a minority have any church, Sunday school or
  bible experience
  

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The children of today learn differently

• Implications
• They are encouraged to have opinions
• They expect individual attention
• They are used to inquiry learning getting
  involved, discussing, working in small groups
  
• They thrive on variety and action in varied
  teaching styles
  
• They expect to have interaction, to have their
  say
  
• Often group work / group presentations are used
• Opportunity to choose their own learning
  content/topic
  

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No longer the generation gap rather the
generation lap

• Implications
• They are digital natives we are the digital
  immigrants
  
• They are used to IT, computers and hi tech
  equipment (e.g. flat screens, power points, web
  design, web cams, i-pods, play stations, mobiles,
  tablets, blackberries, PDAs, online blogs, U Tube
  etc)
• Exposed to a huge amount of learning content
• To an extent control their own learning contexts
• Real learning contexts authentic learning

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Our knowledge of childrens learning needs has
changed

• Implications
• Thinking skills are in - memorization is out
• They learn in small chunks or bites
• Many of them even know about their preferred
  learning style!
  
• (auditory, visual, tactile/kinesthetic etc)
• Have high expectations of what they can and will
  achieve

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Knowledge of childrens learning needs has
changed (continued)

• Multiple intelligences are accepted
• e.g. Howard Gardiners 7 intelligences
• Increasing numbers have short attention spans
• Wide ranging reading/writing skills
• English is a second language
• for growing numbers

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MOE School Statistics The changes are coming

• 2006 59.6 school age children European/Pakeha
• 2021 - 61 projected Maori, Pacific, Asian,
  other
  

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Our Schools Today
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Schools are fast paced environments

• Implications
• Very, very busy places
• Continuous change
• Multiple pressures
• Get to know the key people you need to
• Dont expect to see a lot of the principal
• Schools are consultative and open minded
• They strive to support all cultures and beliefs

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There is always a shortage of teaching time

• Implications
• Time is precious and in very short supply
• Schools are in continuous change mode
• Huge curriculum pressures
• 15 - 20 hours quality teaching time per primary
  school week - BiS eats into it
  
• Extra teaching time appeals to many teachers,
  principals and BOTs
  
• Be well prepared - start and finish on time

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The State school curriculum changes and we must
adapt

• Implications
• We live in the age of knowledge explosion
• Curriculum change seems continuous
• The current push in schools is on learning and
  teaching
  
• Within that the focus is on Literacy and
  Numeracy
  
• Inquiry learning and constructivism feature
• (build up knowledge from many experiences)
• Research and consultation are featured in
  programme development

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Curriculum change (continued)

• Curriculum is no longer static
• Frequent curriculum changes
• Schools have freedom to adapt to suit their
  students
  
• Where does our work fit into the new draft
  curriculum?
  
• How do we participate in the response option?

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The future shape of curriculum?
Where does Chaplaincy fit?
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(No Transcript)
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Schools and teachers are people focused

• Implications
• Establishing good relationships is important
• Get to know something about them as individuals
• (e.g. Family, special interests, their
  responsibilities in the school etc)
  
• Put yourself out for them and the school - if
  an appropriate opportunity arises
  
• Tell them what you like about their classes
• Try to become a supporter of them, a friend

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Teachers have different teaching styles

• Implications
• No two teachers or classes are the same
• What works for one wont necessarily work for
  another adapt your lessons
  
• Learn about how individual teachers manage their
  students and classroom organisation
  
• Follow their systems
• Ideally ask to sit in and observe or ask them
• Ask about students with specifically special
  needs

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Schools are accountable and come under close
scrutiny

• Implications
• Parents speak up if they are not happy about
  something
  
• School Boards can be powerful
• We must accept criticism, listen to complaints
  and consider them
  
• Never discuss criticisms with the children
• Ensure you are culturally sensitive, acknowledge
  and respect different ways and beliefs

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Local Boards and Principals make the decisions

• Implications
• Compliance issues are important
• to them
• They value their self management role
• Constructive positive relationships with BOTS are
  critical
  
• Consider communicating your successes with them
• When Boards change chaplaincy and BIS can be at
  risk
  
• (BOT elections April 2007 currently being
  advertised)
  
• When Principals leave our continued involvement
  may not be assured
  

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Our Future in Schools
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Keep improving the quality of our mission and
our workers

• Implications
• Reach appropriate standards
• Verified quality training of our volunteers - new
  and experienced - is essential
  
• Ongoing upskilling of all our workers
• Continue to review and update our programmes to
  ensure relevancy
  
• Keep improving our programmes and sharing
• Utilise the web and web resources

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We must commit to securing our future in schools

• Implications
• Celebrate our successes promote them
• Continue to develop positive relationships
• Flexibility and adaptability to adjust
• Responsiveness and support
• We are privileged to be working in them
• Consider promoting chaplaincy options in your
  schools
  
• Support your committee get

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Our future (cont)

• We have an amazing product and the market needs
  it
  
• Work to improve our funding base and structures
• Love the children and always be there for them
• Show the children that God cares and we do too
• Pray for them, their schools and their teachers
• Whosoever shall do and teach them, the same
  shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven
  (Matt. 519)
  
•  

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Contacts

• Cedric Wilson
• Business Manager/
• Chaplaincy Coordinator
• CEC Auckland
• cedric_at_cecauckland.org.nz
• www.cecauckland.org.nz
• Office 09 526 0052
• Mobile [phone]
• Home 09 272 9266
• Lets spread the word