AI - the strategic questions for LearnScope

Slide 1: Appreciative Inquiry LearnScope teams in Victoria Strategic questions

Slide 2: Appreciative Inquiry  Appreciate “What is” (What gives life?)  Imagine “What Might Be”  Determine “What Should Be”  Create “What Will Be”

Slide 3: Ap-pre’ci-ate, v., 1. valuing; the act of recognizing the best in people or the world around us; affirming past and present strengths, successes, and potentials; to perceive those things that give life (health, vitality, excellence) to living systems 2. to increase in value, e.g. the economy has appreciated in value. • Synonyms: VALUING, PRIZING, ESTEEMING, and HONORING.

Slide 4: In-quire’ (kwir), v., 1. the act of exploration and discovery 2. to ask questions; to be open to seeing new potentials and possibilities • Synonyms: DISCOVERY, SEARCH, and SYSTEMATIC EXPLORATION, STUDY

Slide 5: Appreciative Inquiry 4-D Cycle Discovery “What gives life?” (The best of what is) Appreciating Destiny Dream LearnScope “What will enable change?” “What might be?” Project (what needs to happen) (What is needed) Outcomes Sustaining Envisioning Design “What should be--the ideal?” (What needs to change) Co-constructing

Slide 6: Stage one: focus on the teacher and appreciate the strengths Opening Interview • High point moment: discovery – What has worked well in LearnScope projects at your place? (manager) – What is the best thing about being in a LearnScope team? (team leader or participant) • Valuing: dream – What has LearnScope achieved for your teachers? – What could be improved in LearnScope at your place? • Continuity: design – What do you need to keep? – What needs to change? • Positive images of the future: destiny – What needs to happen for change to take place? – What will you do to manage the change? Strategies: TEN minute paired interviews.

Slide 7: Finding common themes Group discussion • Introduce highlights from interview with your partner • What are common themes in your: – High points – Evaluation – Continuity (things we want to keep) – Images of the future we share Twenty minute group interviews (3 x 2 pairs).

Slide 8: Summary – continuous improvement • Publishing in the VELS wiki – Stories – high points – Strategies – continuity • Take forward to stage 2: – Evaluation – Vision

Slide 9: Appreciative Inquiry: stage two Dream: Build new capacity for learning • Build on earlier themes: • high point • continuity • vision • Create 3-5 great topics • Be Bold • Something Desired • Want to learn • Strategic/high leverage • Energizing (sometimes opposites together) • Ask empowering questions

Slide 10: Creating the powerful questions: • Choose one of your topics • Create an AI set of questions for that one topic • E.g. Topic – Ready for change! – A. Question that elicits a powerful story – B. Question that helps envision future

Slide 11: What makes AI questions powerful? • Language: questions & statements… • Focus attention • Heighten energy…drive to complete, to answer • Every creative act • Rapport and relationship (people are honored) • Fulcrum change: connect to strength, imagination • Break automatic thinking, essence of learning • Alter internal dialogue & storytelling • Specific positive future (the fairway)

Slide 12: Appreciative Inquiry: stage three Design: collaboratively create what could be • Consider the effectiveness of the four common approaches to change: • Top Down Strategies • Bottom Up Strategies • Representative Cross-Section Strategies • Pilot Strategies • Consider how to use your empowering questions for the: • Whole team • Whole department • Whole organisation • Collate and analyse the results

Slide 13: Finding the most empowering questions: Examples: • What possibilities exist that we have not thought about yet? • What’s the smallest change that could make the biggest impact? • What solutions would have benefits for all stakeholders? • What makes my questions inspiring, energizing, and mobilizing?

Slide 14: Appreciative Inquiry: stage four Destiny: Creating a Positive Change Network • As you imagine and think about “high leverage” ways that appreciative inquiry can add value and strength to you….what are the high potential things you could do? • What are the actions you could take at the: – whole system level: (important topics/issues/opportunities)? – smaller unit level…things I/we could do?

Slide 15: Actions • The AI approach will assist in discovery, dream, design and destiny • The actions will ensure that you manage the change and achieve the vision you have for your organisation • Embed the AI approach by encouraging its use each year