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See also...
Starting can be difficult
Some new users struggle to get 'lift off' !! And it is probably harder now than before. Craig Woodfall, who has played a major role in its development and is one of the most experienced users of the Planner, says that he is glad to have started when the Planner were fewer features - the choices were much simpler.
Other users might have some contributions to make on this topic. Please feel free to send your comments to the discussion list: StudentSupport@yahoogroups.com
How to achieve 'LIFT-OFF'
Try to be clear about two or three (small) things you would like to
achieve next.
To do this just think about the difference between
- how things are now, and
- how you would like them to be in 6 months time.
This will give you a clue as to what to attend to
Note: Don't get distracted by anyone else's 'good ideas'.
Some possibilities
Knowing what you want achieve and how that will serve your school better is important (see governance)
For example, do you want to
- Track behaviour (incidents) and if so: why, how and how will you get a return of your efforts?
- Manage your support services (GO, SW, ...) more effectively to make it easier for them to make a greater contribution and to make your support meetings shorter, easier to manage and more effective, or,
- Get some simple everyday interventions operating for particular students (as an aspect of individual support planning)
- Or just make sense of how you are currently
respond... when are you
- being reactive,
- being proactive,
- being responsive,
- building school capacity
- or just acting in an ad hoc fashion
These are quite different (if related) processes each needing its own
consideration and so need to be achieve separately.
- Where will the data come from?
- How will it be gathered
- Who will manage this development?
- How does this connect with what we are already doing?
- How will we apply this in our everyday life and work as a school?
- What do we already have in place?
- How will this be an improvement ? Easier? Better?
And is there a role for the Planner at all at this stage of your development?
A common approach
Some schools use the following pathway beginning with this website, especially
Follow the links on these pages for more detail.
Suggested possible next steps at your school
After installing the Planner on the school server:
1. Identify the 'owner', that is, the staff member(s) who will
- be stewards of the data
- leaders in use of the Planner in the school
2. Provide shortcuts to selected staff
3. Decide on codes (these should match the everyday language used in the school as much as possible - but they can also be used to refine terms used in the school)
4. Update related
forms used in the school to reflect the codes and make
it easier to capture data
5. Workout
the practices (regular routines) that ensure the smooth and effective
- collection and processing of data
- flow and use of information
- the acquisition and management of knowledge
6. Capture
and summarise the existing
ISPs, especially for those students who will be monitored on
a daily basis.
7. Gather existing key data from various sources, Class Teachers, Guidance Officers
8. Introduce
their teachers to the Weekly Checklist and get the monitoring underway
9. Introduce
the Planner to individual teachers or sectional teams of teachers
- review each class with the class teacher(s): capture alerts, key history items....ISPs
- gather Student Rating and Needs (there are class lists available from the Student Ratings form) and enter
10. Provide
information to teachers as it is accumulated, e.g.,
- hand out copies of your preferred Observations report at staff meeting every few weeks and open-up discussion
- feed back the ratings so that they are reviewed by other (previous?) teachers who know the students well
11. Check on progress & refine practices (routines and arrangements)
12. Check on progress and improve tools
13. Plan placement process for next year using the Planner
It is NOT about using the Planner.
It is really is about your school's development and how that will contribute to the success and well-being of all concerned.
We construct our knowledge, actions (responses), tools and arrangements in our conversations. The key is to use the Planner in ways that promote and support informed conversations between those involved in supporting students who need support:
- the students
- their families
- school staff (teachers, aides...)
- support professionals
- the Learning Service
- other agencies
And you might like to have a brief phone conference from time to time to discuss progress ( and any challenges or difficulties) and to follow up on things that may not be not clear.
