Re-inventing the wheel or the nuclear option?

Illustration - Cienciart

Reflection following CCE sharing event, 'developing a framework for peer and self review'.

Both models presented today featured heirarchical approach to evaluation and reflection measuring against key competencies (red, amber or green, depending on assessment as all dandy, warning bells or requiring immediate intervention). Yvette and Mandy's Pods included continuous peer moderation through CA pod meetings, Jess and Alison was simpler and visually wheel-like. Both provide a structure to reflection and evaluation, both provide a framework which appears to fit into the database model.

We must apply our CP core values of ownership, and personalised learning to our reflection as we promote with young people, schools and everyone we work with. Our systems must reflect that. Likewise they should be transparent and honest, providing a safe place to experiment and challenge our own thinking, looking inward, and out, beyond our CP practice.

That's why for reflection I advocate a nuclear option - that is, a loose connection of conversations and reflections personal to each one of us, and articulated in a form useful personally to us and the people we share our reflections with. I have a number of people whose opinion I respect who I reflect with on a range of issues, including Creative Agents and Bright Space staff.

Like a wonderful chemical concoction, we need to be free to form covalent bonds with either similar or different people, our own networks, to produce new and wonderful compounds. In this analogy, the Administrative Organisations (ADOs) are the reactive agents or catalysts supporting and promoting the development of new networks, much as we creative agents do in our schools. We creative agents, for our part, are responsible to share our reflections and evaluate our work in a form the ADOs can effectively make sense of.

My reflections are best articulated by me in 'a form' of my choosing. Any form designed by others, or for evaluation, by necessity restrict my responses, which may be required for evaluation, but completely at odds with the purpose of reflection.

We are creative agents employed because we have a unique skills set, experiences and networks. To use and develop our talents best we should consistently apply our CP core principles - continuous reflection owned by us, useful beyond CP to all parts of our practice and our lives. Let's go nuclear!