This week participants in the Innovator’s Mindset MOOC (#IMMOOC) read Part 2 in the Innovator’s Mindset and focused on “laying the groundwork” for innovation in education. Kaleb Rashad joined us for the Live show and shared some powerful examples, lots of research, and most of all genuine passion that sparked ideas and connections between so many people this week.
Debbie Donsky’s sketchnotes beautifully capture so many of the great ideas that we discussed:
There were so many great blogs this week. These are some highlights from the participants.
Eric Rodriguez emphasizes how relationships are foundational to building trust and thus, innovation:
“How do relationships relate to innovation? In order to be an innovator there is a certain amount of trust that has to be established because the innovator takes a chance and there is a chance of failure. The innovator must know that failure will not result in any castigation. The level of trust also equates to the quality of the results that follow.”
Rianne Graves also focuses on the power of relationships, noting that we must first start with understanding ourselves to have the greatest impact on others:
“I think we can all agree that sometimes we forget the most important person: ourselves. Without understanding our own passion and purpose, and without bringing it forth consciously, we will not be equipped with what we need to move forward with the external relationships and organic “collisions” that give birth to what is new and better…ie. innovative.”
Brady Venables reflects on her behaviors and how she has developed strong relationships. She suggests:
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Listen first, speak second
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Ask questions rather than jump to provide solutions
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Be vulnerable about myself: my strengths and weaknesses and why I want to support my colleagues
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Ask others about what’s going well and about wishes they have for the organization
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Drop everything and be available (this is a tactic I’ve found to be highly rewarding in my current position. Professional development presentations and paperwork can be done at any time of the day or night – being available for teachers and students is confined by the schedule.)
Like Brady, Doris Herrmann’s post is another example of the importance of first being aware of our own actions and biases before we to better understand our work and impact others. She reflects on the alignment between her actions and her goals:
“When our district first went 1:1, I made a sign for my office door. The sign said, “It is NOT about the device, it is about the learning” but I wonder if in my zeal to help teachers become more innovative, if I really practiced what I preached.
Relationships – Relationships – Relationships
If I want someone to take a leap, I have to be there to catch them if they need it. It is not about the device, it is about the people. As those relationships grow, my role as a coach becomes more meaningful.”
Beyond developing and maintaining powerful relationships, Shanna Spickard highlights the approaches that are critical for powerful learning in schools:
“We need to shift our practices to engage our youth. Some of the best ways to do that are through student-centered approaches that allow students to drive their learning, demonstrate their understanding, and help them prove mastery of content in meaningful ways to the the student. This type of instruction is active for the students; it has a feedback loop; and it involves collaborating with peers and the teacher (as facilitator).”
Amy Illingworth makes the connection to the work of educators, whatever our role, and how our actions impact the rate of change in our practices. She reminds us to be mindful of how we lead the way not only by our words, but by our actions.
If we want our students to be innovative, our teachers must model the way.
If we want our teachers to be innovative, our coaches and leaders must model the way.
If we want our classrooms to look innovative, we must first consider what our staff meetings and professional development workshops look like for adult learning.
Nick Filipowski highlights the irony of professional learning that still exists in many schools. It is critical to understand that if we want to change how students learn, we must change how teachers learn.
“As a curriculum coordinator, I am responsible for structuring and providing professional learning for teachers. So for me, this image also makes me think about the professional learning that I have experienced and that I design. I know I need to think about how these same principles apply to learning at all levels. One of the most memorable professional learning days in my career was a day when all teachers from the entire district were brought together. We sat in a large gym at tables while two presenters talked to us for an entire day about.. wait for it… differentiation. The complete disconnect between the topic and the mode of presentation was mind blowing to me. I was expected to consume what was presented to not just me, but to hundreds of people in the same way assuming the same level of understanding for all.”
This type of training had little impact on Nick, except for learning what not to do, whereas Annick Rauch shares a powerful example of her learning this week by exploring Twitter, opening herself up to new ideas and being willing to take a risk. She connected with another teacher and created some amazing learning opportunities for her students (and herself). She pushes us to set high expectations for all.
“Let’s not just assume that our students are too young to use a certain tool or form of technology. And let’s not shy away from trying something new because we’re not sure what we’re doing. I am willing to bet that my students will teach me a thing or two on twitter this year and I’m not scared of that… This is how it should be: we all learn together and from one another! If we give our students the chance and the benefit of the doubt, they will surprise us in the best possible way!”
To build on Annick’s ideas, I would argue that we should also not assume that teachers are too old, too young, too anything to learn. I have always found that when you meet people where they are and focus helping them solve challenges that are meaningful to them, the desire and willingness to learn is often there. Let’s continue to share what we are learning and what isn’t working not just what going right so we can all grow in meaningful ways.
And last but not least the memes were awesome this week! Check them out and keep them coming:)
There are some great collaborative projects going on… keep sharing your ideas and creating new ones. I love all the unique contributions and seeing the new connections and great things you are doing for kids.
Best,
Katie
