This is a compilation of some highlights in our third week of Innovator’s Mindset MOOC Season 2. To join the conversation, check out IMMOOC.Org, #IMMOOC on Twitter, or join us on Facebook.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=830vNqgejkk&w=560&h=315]
All four participants in Live Session 5 contributed so many meme worthy comments in creating and maintaining a culture of innovation.
How do we tackle barriers to innovation?
Beth and Shelley speak of the importance of staff and students wanting to run into, not out, of schools with “culture first, culture next, culture always”. Shelley talks of the importance of all stakeholders needing to be empowered to become owners and protectors of the culture of a shared and clear-to-all vision for moving forward. “People will be less likely to tear down walls that they helped build”. Beth firmly believes in “you promote what you permit”. We need to model what we hope to see and celebrate every step along the way. Accountability partners may help us make the progress and take needed breaks for perfect balance along the way. Katie offers the idea to “start with small steps without waiting for permission” and not waiting until the plan is perfectly planned before launching. George reminds us about the meaning of innovation in that we need to do something different (and better) if we want others to do the same. We then need to have “honest conversations at the most appropriate times” for the feedback needed to make improvements along the way. George stresses that we need to stop being so boring along the journey and make sure to liven things up and have some fun.
George refers to the story of the 5 Wet Monkeys in how we need leaders more than ever to fight the TTWWADI (That’s The Way We Always Do It) Monster; one of our barriers to innovation.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4vJ8l2NfIM&w=560&h=315]
Dave Burgess posted this popular Tweet on barriers to innovation:
Katie Martin Tweets that one way to avoid those barriers is to stop concentrating on them:
We have to reflect on other types of barriers that exist holding us back from innovative practices. This post by Rick Burkett was referenced by George to encourage self-reflection.
#IMMOOC Season 2 participants reacted with amazing reflections to Live Session 5.
Here is an awesome reflection from Grayson McKinney:
And this take away from Alex Lianne Carter:
And more take aways from Jessica Torres:
And this compilation of Twitter responses to Live Session 5 put together via Memories by Rebecca Lynn:
How might we measure the impact of innovative practices in education? How do you know you are headed in the right direction?
In Live Session 5 Beth Houf said that the mindset can be measured. Do we have the mindset of innovation? You can see the progress in her school through Twitter as their digital portfolio.
Shelley believes that if there is a clear definition of innovation or goals then progress can be measured.
Katie believes that growth over time can be measured if there is impact of something that we value.
Yvette Rosario-Perez writes in her blog, “Evidence of innovative practices in education” on measuring innovation based on the goal of developing life-long learners:
Innovation = Life long learning
The ultimate purpose of education is to instill a passion, a burning desire, and pursuit of ongoing knowledge.
Innovation can be measured by observing students’ level of commitment to the “voluntary, pursuit of knowledge.” Do students leave school more curious than they entered? When you speak with students, connect with them, and build deep relationships with them you will be able to “see” the impact of innovation.
John Bennett defines, describes and defends how innovation can be measures in his blog, “Are education changes headed in the right directions?”:
What is our definition of innovative? In his book, “Innovator’s Mindset“, George Couros offers this definition of ‘innovative’: Something is innovative if its outcome(s) or result(s) are both new and better. Therefore changes to education will be innovative only if the student education is both different from previous practice and results in better learning.
What changes are we Considering? I cannot overstate how many great ideas and resulting changes have been introduced by MOOC participants; even a representative list is impossible. For this post, therefore, I will offer my personal list: (1) facilitating learning, not teaching; (2) keeping the approach student-controlled; (3) facilitating the development of four basic skills: Effective Learning, problem solving, communicating, and working in groups; (4) eliminating textbooks; (5) eliminating exams (in favor of project outcomes) ; and (6) eliminating grades in favor of course grades assigned by teachers with input from each student and their peers. It is my thesis that this list is collectively quite different from standard pedagogy. It will be appropriately Considered innovative if the student learning improves.
How can we assess if we’re headed in the right direction? Immediately, it should be apparent that there will be no testing (except for any mandated by government); there will be facilitating, not teaching with minimal if any lecturing; there will be no focus on information chosen as ‘correct’ and included in textbooks; there will be student choices of problems addressed (associated with teacher defining questions aligned with appropriate standards); and there will be no ‘right’ answers, there will be failures to learn from, and there will be development of useful answers. Facilitated properly, these changes cannot help improve education / learning with increased motivated student engagement:
What is one way that blogging has changed your practice or thinking?
Kristen Roe responds to this prompt on blogging in “Blogging…. Really? by saying we all have something to contribute.
In the grand scheme of things I think all educators have something of worth to say, that has value, and can bring new innovative ideas to the table. I want to learn from others. I want others to learn from me. It may be something small but it shouldn’t matter. It only takes one small pebble in the pond to make ripples. That one small pebble can have an affect on so many. I have made connections with educators from all over the world through this process. We come from different backgrounds , different types of schools but in the end we all have one thing in common…. Kids. We want to provide every opportunity we can to the children we interact with each day. In order to do that we have to start with ourselves and those we work with. If we all throw our pebble in the pond just think of the ripple effects we will create!
Elizabeth Dixon Martin writes that blogging has helped her find her, “Blogging Voice”:
…the blogging requirement for this course has helped me develop a habit of writing, but more importantly, has helped me reconnect with my voice while reflecting on what we have done, what we do, and what we might hope to do here at South Central High School. I actually enjoy and look forward to this opportunity to think and write….
NOW, my next task is to work on developing an audience
Finding this to be the perfect place to put this Tweet by Laurie McIntosh on the importance of blogging or Tweeting:
George writes in his blog about the importance for sharing “The Vulnerability of Learning” no matter which format we use. We need to share the process of learning, not just the product from learning. He extends the idea for sharing the process of our vulnerability of learning in this video reflection:
In the final thoughts we go back to Part 4 of George Couros’s Innovator’s Mindset. We are reminded that “The biggest game changers in education are, and always will be the educators who embrace the innovator’s mindset”. “We must be constantly focused on improving our practice, which means we will never be done innovating, growing, and learning.” It is what George referred to as, “relentless restlessness“.
We are better together and in the end the students are the winners,
Valerie
