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| George Couros signed my copy of The Innovator's Mindset at ITEC |
Throughout all of these learning opportunities, I kept
coming back to the themes of vision and culture. I truly believe that vision and culture
go hand in hand. A staff that has a shared vision in which they truly believe, will establish a culture of learning (for educators and students). This
reinforces the importance of involving all stakeholders in establishing a
vision. Everyone affected by the vision needs to have a say in its creation and
should be able to explain how it translates into the classroom and learning.
This simple step of allowing
voice (whether in creating a school-wide vision or one for your own classroom)
can have a profound effect on the buy-in of all stakeholders. This can be one
of the first steps in establishing a collaborative culture of learning.
Inclusion of all stakeholders in this process helps to build trust and is the
first step toward empowerment of learners. This allows for the development of a
culture where learners (whether teachers or students) feel supported in taking
risks and feel that their voice matters. Leaders must then continue to develop
relationships and allow learners to meet their own needs through the procedures
that are in place.
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| This week's #IMMOOC challenge was to make a meme related to this week's learning |
As I read The Innovator’s
Mindset, I was struck by the power of conversations. This theme was also
prevalent in my sessions at ITEC and as I listened to Kaleb Rashad on the
YouTube Live session. I realize this may seem like common sense, but
I kept coming back to the importance of meaningful conversations that involve teachers, students,
parents, and community members about what all of us see as the purpose of school. George’s comparison of school
vs. learning got me thinking that few people would disagree with his assessment
of learning and that many would also not argue about the realities of school. However, I think many people have not put a lot of thought into the disparity between the characteristics of school and those of learning. This leaves us to discuss how we can narrow the gap between
the two. Educational leaders must promote these meaningful discussions that can be impactful for the
educational process. Resources such as the characteristics of school vs. learning, the
“what if” questions from chapter 7 of The Innovator's Mindset, and documentaries such as Most Likely to Succeed can provide excellent conversation starters to help us push the envelope of innovative educational practices.
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| Duckworth, Sylvia. "School vs Learning" 10 March 2015. Online Image. Flickr. 18 January 2015. <https://flic.kr/p/qRgiYR> |
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Beginning these conversations
promotes a move toward a more unified vision of action that goes beyond a
written vision statement. As more voices feel empowered to contribute to this
discussion, culture will begin to shift and the focus will truly become about
what is best for learners. I certainly do not believe that discussions
alone will create idyllic learning environments, however, I feel that a process that involves everyone in a discussion about schools will help establish a culture that puts learners first. This is essential for innovation in education, as I believe culture is the biggest determinant of success in schools.
