TRADITIONALLY school leaders go to a conference to learn how to teach their teachers better, but with the digital age offering better interconnections, public school principals and education directors are going global to gain guidance.
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Glenroi Heights principal Jane Cameron, Bletchington principal Craig Booth and Orange East instructional leader Philippa Hughes will travel to Nottingham, Ontario and Ottawa respectively in the school holidays to gain first-hand knowledge of school-based best practices with a particular objective in mind as part of the LEAP (leading educators around the planet) program.
This follows a similar exchange when principals from their host schools visited Orange in week two of this term, where they visited various small schools and Dubbo School Of Distance Education, places where teaching models were foreign to them.
The NSW-based LEAP program provides educational leaders with the opportunity to connect with international colleagues and systems for the purpose of improving the teaching and learning on the ground at the school.
Mr Booth said his primary aim is to study quality school-based professional learning to pass on to his teachers when he is hosted and learns from Hillsdale Elementary School principal Dr Gita Wassmer.
“I think learning starts with the children and we, as teachers, want to improve their outcomes. I hope to pick up ideas to ensure what I’m doing here is the best practice,” Mr Booth said.
“How do you get better outcomes for the kids? You support your teachers.”
Mrs Cameron, who initially got Orange principals involved, said there’s a lot to be gained from the exchange system.
She said there are currently 107 NSW principals, deputy principals and education directors involved who regularly go on exchange to countries such as New Zealand, the UK and US and Europe.
