November 6, 7, 8, 2013
The Islander Resort and Conference Center, Islamorada, Florida Keys

General Meeting Times:
Wednesday start at 9:00, end Friday around 3:30 p.m.

Facilitated and Open Space sessions. Roland Barth will be with us throughout the 3 days. Those who register earlier rather than later will be booked into a 2 to 3 person small group for a 30 minute "mini-session" with Roland exclusively to discuss a topic of their choice if they wish to sign up.

Here is a brief “skeleton” of some of the main ideas that will be facilitated in the program
by various presenters:

ESSENTIAL QUESTION:  Are all conversations created equal?
*We’re going to talk about conversations that don’t go anywhere vs. conversations that
might make a difference;  explore tell-tale signs of time-wasters or “It’s all about me conversations, and weigh those against conversations that will seek ideas, solutions, and make a difference for students, staff and community, and we will invent creative ways to “shift” the conversations from meaningless to meaningful without insulting the participants.

ESSENTIAL QUESTION:  How can leaders develop a school culture of conversation?
*We’re going to explore the idea of conversations that support learning, inquiry, and growth through a smooth exchange of information, collaborative building of ideas, and giving and receiving thoughtful feedback.  We will learn to recognize characteristics of generative and non-generative conversations and ways to incorporate them into our repertoire when conversing with our staff and constituents.

ESSENTIAL QUESTION: How do your values and use of data drive student outcomes and teacher learning?
We will be guided through a facilitated exercise based on InTASC Standard 9:
“Professional Learning and Ethical Practice” to help you discover how your personal values
align with your professional values and the choices you make as an educator. We will learn about looking at data to guide professional learning and positively impact student outcomes. The “Connections” protocol (National School Reform Faculty) will be used to guide the conversation.

ESSENTIAL QUESTION:  What factors related to conversation affect
school culture and ultimately can escalate success of school programs?
*We will review four models of how the leader gets to decide who gets to decide.
*We will review furniture arrangements and indoor and outdoor environments, in school and out of school environments  and how they may impact productive conversations.
*We will use a communications survey to self-assess starting points for participants.
*We will discuss  how the presence or absence of feedback loop conversations may impact
school organizational planning, implementation of ideas,  and evaluation.

OPEN SPACE SESSIONS
We will provide time for role-alike groups and target topics to be explored in more detail.

TABLE TOP SESSIONS
We will provide time for those who wish to share “Best Practices” to have an audience
to introduce their topic to target audience participants.

MEALS
Wednesday’s and Friday’s lunches will be buffets and/or plated. Thursday’s lunch
will be a box lunch with ample time for you to go off and eat with the colleagues
of your choosing and also choose your own  location/indoors/outdoors/beach/pool.
Thursday late afternoon we are having a poolside get together with substantial appetizers.

Questions: Contact Ms. Sandi Bisceglia, 305-393-0236, Florida
This event will be sponsored by the Southernmost Leadership Network, Inc., Tavernier, Florida 33070

The INPC Network was initiated by Harvard Professor Roland Barth, a world renowned prolific teacher, writer, and conversationalist in the area of school leadership.

The mission of the INPC Network is to:
promote leader’s learning,
create space for leadership topic conversations,
facilitate cross-pollination of ideas,  successful practices and craft knowledge about school leadership with  principals, principal centers, and leadership academies around the world;
create supportive contexts for professional development of school leaders;improve the learning environment for staff and students.

Click HERE to download the Registration form. INPC Block Room rate is $149.00. BOOK EARLY due to Veteran's Day weekend as rooms sell out fast! To register for the hotel The Islander Resort: Reserve by phone by calling 305-664-2031 Ext. 705 and reserve through Connie Crowley, or go to www.islanderfloridakeys.com, then go to "Groups and Gatherings" and follow the link to Int'l Network of Principals to reserve an efficiency for $149.00 a night. Rooms will go QUICKLY due to the Holiday weekend.

DEADLINE FOR EVENT REGISTRATION IS JULY 15TH, 2013

Dear Colleagues and Friends,

This is to update you on the progress of preparations for the INPC Conversation scheduled for November 6-8, 2013. 

WHAT WE WILL BE DOING IN THE THREE DAY TIME PERIOD

SESSIONS: Sessions will focus on the theme of  facilitated groups and protocols for Conversation,  a “net” activity,  theme related articles, BEST PRACTICES brought in my participants themselves,  and some “surprises”.

We are also bringing back David Voss, Communications Specialist – who will be on hand to talk with us about conversations that count and conversations that “don’t” count.

Principal Centers, University folks, and principal practitioners will have opportunities for role-alike conversations,  pair/shares across job descriptions, and a “home group” for anchoring.  The wide diversity of participants across geographical areas will also provide for rich conversation, opportunities for national networking, and  time to  cultivate  professional friendships to support the work of school principals in their challenging leadership roles. A more detailed agenda will be forthcoming.

At our last Conversation in 2011, we had 50 participants, including Jamaica, Hawaii, Japan, Toronto, and several mainland USA States principal practitioners and heads of Principals’ Centers, which made for  very diverse sharing.

PREMISE ABOUT THIS CONVERSATION:
The single biggest problem with communication is the illusion that it has taken place.

TOPICS AND QUESTIONS TO BE EXPLORED:
What are some of the important “must have” conversations you are dealing with?
What conversations “count”?
What conversations “don’t count”?
Why do some conversations “stick” and others need to be repeated?
What are some challenges to you as the leader in conducting important school conversations?
What are some tips and strategies that can assist and support important conversations to move schools forward effectively?
What are some “best practices” you can share that work in your setting? (Everyone is asked to bring some ideas for a sharing session).

OPEN SPACE: We will also have one or more open space “blocks” of time.
You will be asked to write down 1 to 3 topics of particular interest to you on  theme cards and we will “group them” by subject together  and create mini-group topics where you can go join in  “by choice” to learn about and talk about what interests you the most.

FUN AND NOVELTY

Islamorada has many lovely restaurants and bars “on the water”. You will have plenty of time to be at one of them “during sunset” which is a lovely experience in and of itself and have dinners on your own. There are lots of small shopping venues. Also, since I planned this event prior to Veteran’s Day weekend, which is MONDAY, November 11th, hopefully you will have all day on Saturday and all day on Sunday to extend your stay and visit Key West or the Everglades, or fry at the pool with an umbrella drink close by. Monday can be your travel day if you really want to “extend” your trip!!!  The reduced room rate is available to you both before and after the conference.

The mission of the INPC Network is to promote leader’s learning, create space for leadership topic conversations, facilitate cross-pollination of ideas, successful practices and craft knowledge about school leadership with principals, principal enters, and leadership academies around the world; create supportive context for professional development of school leaders; improve the learning environment for staff and students.

Sincerely,

Ms. Sandi Bisceglia, Executive Director
International Network of Principals' Centers
© 305-393-0236 | [email protected]