LEARNING BY DESIGN

Developing Shared Values and Vision

‘Who we are and where we will be going’

Dr Julia Atkin
Education & Learning Consultant
“Bumgum”
Harden-Murrumburrah NSW 2587
Julia@Learning-by-Design.com
http://www.learning-by-design.com

The map is not the territory.

Alfred Korzybski

1
 If you want to build a ship,
don't drum up the people
to gather wood, divide the work
and give orders.

Instead, teach them to yearn

for the vast and endless sea.

Antoine de Saint Exupery

© Julia Atkin, 2004

Dialogue
The roots of Dialogue are the Greek "dia" and "logos"
which means "through meaning."

It is often useful to contrast Dialogue with discussion.

In Dialogue we are interested in creating a fuller

picture of reality rather than breaking it down into
fragments or parts, as happens in discussion.

In Dialogue we do not try to convince others of our

points of view. There is no emphasis on winning,
but rather on learning, collaboration and the
synthesis of points of view.

2
 VALUES & VISION DRIVEN DEVELOPMENT

HOW?
PRACTICES

WHAT?
PRINCIPLES

WHY?
VALUES
&
BELIEFS

© Julia Atkin, 2004

Process: Dialogue and story

Surfacing, clarifying,
articulating values.

3
 VALUES & VISION DRIVEN DEVELOPMENT

HOW?
PRACTICES

WHAT?
PRINCIPLES

WHY?
VALUES
&
BELIEFS
Derived from
values & beliefs
Captured in policy
statements

VALUES & VISION DRIVEN DEVELOPMENT

Our drive to action, our

will to act, should be Pressure from outside should!
driven by what we say be worked through the “WHY?
we value and believe.! process?”!

If a practice is suggested
from outside, our first PRACTICES

question should be WHY? Living

- How will doing this, expression
using this practice, help PRINCIPLES of your values
us achieve what we say!
we value?!
WHY?
VALUES
As we explore new &
practices we should BELIEFS
constantly reflect on how
well it enables us to Derived from
achieve what we value. ! values & beliefs
Captured in policy
statements

Mutually agreed upon and owned

by school community- the basis of
a common sense of purpose
Made explicit in vision/mission
statement
Julia Atkin From Values & Beliefs about Learning to Principles & Practice
http://www.learning-by-design.com

4
VALUES & VISION DRIVEN DEVELOPMENT

WHAT?
To what degree are your practices
PRACTICES shaped by outside forces?
HOW?
PRINCIPLES

WHY?
VALUES How conscious and explicit are
&
BELIEFS
your values & beliefs?

How deliberate is the connection

between your values and your
actions?

© Julia Atkin, 2004

Between the idea

And the reality
Between the motion
And the act
Falls the shadow

T.S. Eliot The Hollow Men

© Julia Atkin, 2004

5
 VALUES & VISION DRIVEN DEVELOPMENT

What prevents congruence?

WHAT?
PRACTICES
• past patterning
HOW? • habit
PRINCIPLES
• lack of ‘know-how’
WHY? • self delusion
VALUES
& • lack of confidence/trust
BELIEFS
• lack of time

© Julia Atkin, 2004

VALUES & VISION DRIVEN DEVELOPMENT

I often here people saying ‘Why do we

have to reinvent the wheel?’ Someone WHAT?
else has worked it out. Just tell us what PRACTICES
to do.’!

When changing practice meant HOW?

PRINCIPLES
changing machines (Industrial Era) the
quality of production would
automatically improve. ! WHY?
VALUES
&
Teaching is an act of person. People
BELIEFS
will not change their practice
authentically unless they value it,
unless they believe it.!

That doesn’t necessarily mean 5 years

navel gazing about what you value and
believe but it does mean being open to
explore new or different practices
combined with a commitment to reflect
on how certain practices, strategies or
actions help us achieve what we value.!

© Julia Atkin, 2007!

6
 Challenge: Surface
Share
Clarify
Work towards congruence

Education Design & Development

Key elements & Shapers

WHY school? L
What is your educative E
purpose? A
R
C N
O I
WHAT should values HOW do
N informs N
shapes students learn? & students learn?
T & Principles of Effective
G
What is essential? beliefs
E informs What is desirable? Learning
X T
T H
E
O
What is it powerful to learn? What is powerful learning?
R
Y

© Julia Atkin, 2004