Networks

Networking – to create the red thread

Networks are an important part of Borgholm's municipal quality activity. At all pre-schools and schools there is a development of activities dependant on each unit's specific requirements. Each pre-school/school is unique and is therefore not to be compared with others. Many times you are left standing alone with development ideas as you never know for sure what the correct alternative to act is.

By letting others know about your own development ideas and by looking at others work it is possible to increase the level of safety in the ongoing development process. Networks have shown to be a good method to use. Many pedagogues in their network research have through their network collegues' questions and remarks got a new perspective on their own school development process. They mean that this type of questions would have been difficult to achieve in their own forum. It is also shown that if the network groups are able to find a common problem, and thereby use the network to support the development work, they also experience a positive cooperation. This is also an important point of networking. 

There are six main networks in Borgholm's municipality; Mathematics, Swedish, English, Science, Social Science - Student Influence and Special Pedagogy. We alsa have a Preventive Health Care network with representatives from the whole of Öland. In each respective network there are 12-25 pedagogues from pre-school to class 9 representing all units in the municipality and a leader representative.

Our development strategy is that as many as possible are engaged in the work to achieve the result we want. Networks fulfil an excellent function in this work but need specific structure. The structure we are working with is:

• Permanent network representatives from each unit
• Priority time for networking
• The network representative is appointed by the headmaster according to the unit's need and the competence of the personnel
• Coordinator for each network
• Leader representative in each network 
• The network representative and the headmaster are responsible for spreading information, knowledge and decisions from the network

The network demands activeness and involvement from the representatives but also gives them the possibility for competence development both individually and together in the network.

Each network is headed by a coordinator appointed by the network. The coordinators from the six subject networks, together with the headmaster responsible for the networks, meet between each network meeting to plan and coordinate the continuing work for the networks. It is through network ideas and thoughts that development is created. The networks also act as preparative groups for the managerial body to support department decisions. Networking has therefore an important position in the development of pre-schools and schools in our municipality.