Future Focused Professional Learning and Development for Educators
UPDATE (October 2022) – FutureMakers is now an approved provider of Ministry-funded, regionally allocated professional development (RAPLD). Please contact Derek to discuss your plans, and search for Derek Wenmoth on the provider list on the MoE website when making an application.
We work alongside principals and teachers to design programmes of professional learning that are suited to their particular needs and context. We believe that for professional learning to be of most value it must be:
- In-depth – it is evidence-based, inquiry-led and drawing on theory and research to inform decision making.
- Engaged in over time – on-off sessions seldom have impact. Engagement in a longer term change process is required.
- Related to practice – the most impactful PLD will address problems of practice identified by educators, and empower educators to make more informed decisions about the approaches they use.
- Contextually relevant – the change must be seen in the context of the school or classroom. While strategies and approaches can transfer between contexts, they will inevitably need to be customised to meet local needs.
- Collaborative – scalable and sustainable change across the system will only be achieved through truly collaborative approaches that value and capture the collective efficacy of educators.
These principles underpin the design that is negotiated with you at the outset.
Our programmes can be provide on-site, online or a mix of both.
We are most interested in supporting educators with a future-focused emphasis and who are genuinely keen on transforming their practice and the way schools operate.
Some of the areas we work with teachers and schools with include:
- Hybrid Learning – making learning accessible regardless of location – enabling teachers and learners to operate from home or from school.
- Learner Agency – exploring how to ‘shift the ownership of learning’ for learners of all ages. An essential learner quality for the future!
- Deeper Learning – introducing frameworks and strategies that help educators design learning that is authentic, purposeful and deep.
- Leveraging Digital – discovering powerful ways exploiting the benefits of digital technologies to support rich and meaningful learning.
- Learning Space Design – learning how best to utilise the spaces available to enable activity that is learner-centred, collaborative and diversity
- Collaborative Teaching – finding ways to make teams work and realise the benefits of team approaches to working with learners.
- Design for online learning – understanding the fundamentals of instructional design and what works best in both synchronous and asynchronous environments.
- Assessment for learning – focusing specifically on the use of progressions, rubrics and the role off evidence to support the judgements made about learning success.
Recommendations
Derek is a highly knowledgeable and inspirational professional learning provider that has been guiding our staff in the development of New Pedagogies’ for Deep Learning. His ability to gauge where staff are at and use this to guide next steps has been critical in seeing staff buy into this processes and have a strong desire to build in their professional practice.
Andy Fraser | Principal |Ōtaki College
Derek has supported, informed and inspired a core group of our teachers to be effective leads in our college for NPDL. Derek’s PLD is expertly targeted to our needs.
Marion Lumley | Deputy Principal |Ōtaki College
I asked Derek to work with our teachers to reenergise our team back into our journey towards our vision after the two years of being in and out of ‘Covid-ness’. Teachers reported positively about the day with Derek, commenting on how affirmed they felt that our vision is future focused. Teachers expressed excitement with their new learning towards the vision, and I’ve noticed a palpable energy since the day. Derek also started preparing our thinking for hybrid learning, helping us all to feel a sense of creativity rather than uncertainty. The leadership team is keen to see him return!
Kate Christie | Principal | Cashmere Ave School
If you’d like support with your professional development programmes please contact derek@futuremakers.nz