Roll up! Roll up! We are now looking for 10-15 pioneering schools to join us in developing and shaping Pond in a new, whole school environment. After the great success of the Pioneer Educator programme where over 600 educators have jumped into Pond, we’re interested in seeing how Pond works when implemented across a whole school. In addition to these Pioneer Schools, we will be working with 3 schools in an advisory role to help develop the programme. These are schools who already have a close relationship with us and have approached us in a proactive way about introducing Pond to their whole school.
So, what are you looking for in a Pioneer School?
A Pond Pioneer School is a school ready to commit to 6 weeks of a ‘light touch’ programme to guide them through the possibilities of Pond. It’s a school which has a range of staff, some confident with new digital technologies and some more reluctant – these reluctant teachers are the people we can learn from moving forward and the leaders in the school can learn from as education becomes increasingly technological and expectations shift. We’re looking for schools who represent the diversity to be found in the New Zealand education system – from socio-demographic to roll size and location. We’re aware that a small rural school in an isolated part of the South Island will be interested in different features of Pond than a large secondary school in Auckland; Pioneer Schools will have the opportunity to help identify and shape the direction of Pond to suit this diversity in schools.
If I apply for my school to be a Pioneer School, what will we get?
Other than the recognition from your peers that your school is innovative, frontier smashing, progressive and exciting, your school and its staff will get Pioneer School badges within Pond. You will get support from the team at N4L to implement Pond in your school and tasks specifically designed to support the integration of Pond into your regular planning and teaching. Your school will get the opportunity to speak directly to the development team and let them know what you think of Pond and the direction it is going in. Principals of Pioneer Schools will benefit from a paper-less process for their teachers to gain access to Pond. Best practice beyond your own school will be accessible at a single click and a wider community of teachers outside your own school will be ready to connect to share resources and Learning Ideas.
Wicked! How do we sign our school up?
If this sounds like your school and you’re the Principal, read this Pioneer School page link(editor note 21 Jan 2016: link removed as no longer relevant) for more details including an outline of the programme and tools which can be offered by N4L before completing the form that follows. If you’re a Pioneer Educator or another member of staff of a school you think would be a perfect fit, speak to your Principal and direct them to the information on the Pioneer School page of our website.
The Pioneer School programme will start week 2 of Term Three and submissions will close 9am Tuesday 1 July so time is of the essence, strike while the iron is hot and get ready to jump into Pond with us.