Saturday, November 28, 2015

Make Room for Creativity and Change

I just read a great post from Jon Harper (Happiness, Silly) about finding our state of creative flow, those times where we feel we are in our zone and are able to develop our best ideas, create our best moments, and generate seemingly unending personal energy. Jon suggests that he finds his creative flow in those moments when the tyranny of what's next fades away. Too often we are so busy with what's next, our schedules and to do lists, that we don't find those creative flow moments.

Jon's post resonated with me, in part, because I've been thinking about ways our education system could encourage more creativity and change. I agree with him that we don't have enough white space for educators to pursue their own passions and ideas, to find that creative flow.

We need to increase creativity and personal meaning for everyone involved in education--teachers, students, administrators, etc. Creativity results in greater meaning and personal relevance. It results in more perseverance. It results in positive change. It turns schools into learning organizations instead of information organizations.

But too often, leaders want to get behind people and push them toward an outcome. We develop one-size-fits-all programs. We hold never ending trainings. We mandate this or demand that. We pile on more paperwork.

It's piled on from every level of our system. What's next is coming at us from federal, state, local, and building levels.

We even require a lot of the new stuff in the name of change. We need to change this or that. We need more technology integration. Everyone must use this new method or strategy.

And this crazy dance goes on with noble intentions.

But what if there is another way? What if we provided more white space to allow professionals to develop their own ideas, to start their own movements, to share more of who they are and what they believe in as educators?

Instead of pushing, maybe just a nudge is all that's needed.

A nudge that encourages, "You have great ideas. You should share that."

A nudge that challenges, "How could we give students more ownership in that?"

A nudge that hopes, "Wouldn't it be great if..?"

To unleash the creativity latent in our profession, we have to make room for change. We have to stop pushing and pressuring and start providing conditions that allow for new ideas and problem-solving.

It will require trust. It will require taking things off of people's plates. It will require leaders who support risks and celebrate ideas. But it will be worth it. Make room for change.

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

Making Learning More Meaningful



Why have we placed such a high value on sense-making over meaning-making? Sense-making involves understanding and demonstrating a content or skill. Much of the work we do in school is related to sense-making and there is nothing inherently wrong with this. We need to know facts and learn skills. But why don't we make greater efforts to connect sense-making with things that bring meaning? Meaning is what helps us to really make sense of the world. It's coming to a place where we understand why our sense-making matters. Meaning gives relevance to our learning.

Daniel Pink explains in his book Drive that people are more effective, more motivated, and more connected to the work, and all areas of life, when conditions exist that allow for autonomy, mastery, and purpose. When we have autonomy we feel we have a voice and a choice. When we are able to do things well (mastery), it makes us want to try even harder and do even more. And when we have a sense of purpose, we feel our contributions matter and that what we contribute is bigger than ourselves.

These conditions are far more powerful than extrinsic rewards, because deep down we know that things that are most meaningful are ones that stand the test of time. Extrinsic rewards satisfy for a moment, but they don't deeply satisfy. They only feed appetites for more recognition, more rewards, or more pleasures. We need meaning, not more stuff, not better grades, not more rules or policies.

In our hurried, success-driven, hyper-connected culture, there is a hunger for meaning in ways like never before. We need something greater than ourselves and our shallow appetites (more stuff, more fame, more instant gratification).

So how does this all translate to the classroom? Let's ask students to do stuff that really matters, to themselves and to others. Learning shouldn't happen in isolation from real impact. Open the world and find ways for students to make a difference now. Give students the freedom and flexibility to do something amazing. As I think about the learning experiences from my school days that I remember the most, they are ones that were personally meaningful to me. We can't expect sense-making to last beyond the test if we don't help students have personal meaning connected to the learning.

Make learning personally meaningful and students will find their passions and become self-determined, lifelong learners.

Thursday, November 19, 2015

Tech Geek or Teaching Geek?

I think it was during a Twitter chat I first made the comment that you don't have to be a tech geek to use technology effectively to support learning in your classroom. I later polished the wording a bit and asserted that "Classrooms don't need tech geeks who can teach, we need teaching geeks who can use tech." Several thought-leaders on Twitter have also shared the quote, like most recently @ToddWhitaker.
The message seemed to resonate with educators. But I also received some push back. What's wrong with being a tech-geek? Can we not aim for both? In the end, are the results any different? It seems there is plenty to discuss regarding approaches of using technology to support learning. So I wanted to address these issues and clarify the thinking behind the quote.

Why teaching geeks?

1. It's more important to get the instructional design right and develop engaging, highly effective learning experiences, with or without tech. Unless the central aim of your curriculum is technology, the tech should support the learning and not the other way around. It's not good practice to find a nifty tech tool and then contrive some way to get it into your lesson, just to wow or impress. That would be akin to using technology like a cool party trick. Not exactly the professional practice that will develop consistent and quality learning for students.

Retrieved: http://tinyurl.com/q6zw4w3
2. Teaching geeks are concerned with more than technology. A teaching geek will do everything possible to increase learning and help all students be successful. They love to learn about teaching, talk about teaching, join with other passionate educators on Twitter, and just be geeky about all things related to their profession. Most of all, they are passionate about student learning. I love to attend EdCamps because the teaching geeks are drawn to these events. Geeks go to Comic-Con. Tech geeks go to CES. Teaching geeks go to EdCamps!

3. You don't have to be a technology genius to use tech in the classroom. Many teachers think they can't use technology to support learning because it's not a strength for them. But even if it's not a strength, every teacher can take small steps to utilize technology for learning. Pick just one digital tool that has the potential to enhance your lessons and learn more about it. Our school is in the first year of 1:1 with Chromebooks, so a tool that nearly all of our teachers wanted to learn is Google Classroom. It was a good place to start because it serves as a hub for classroom stuff and allows for increased sharing and collaboration.

4. Don't wait, start somewhere. For teachers who lack confidence with technology, it's easy to avoid taking steps to learn new ways to use technology. And this is exactly what we don't want our students to do, to shrink back in the face of something that doesn't come easily. I'm very proud of teachers in our building who have stepped out of their comfort zone to learn new methods with technology even though it's not their strongest area. It models the type of growth mindset we want to encourage in students.

5. Turn the technology over to your students. Even if you don't know all the ins and outs of using technology, many of your students do. If you give students choice about how to use technology to support their learning, you can incorporate tech even though you aren't the source of all the tech knowledge. It's actually a great thing when students and teachers can learn from each other.

6. So you're a tech geek? That's great. It can actually be very beneficial to your teaching if you couple your knowledge of technology with an array of other tools that are important to effectiveness in the classroom. How do you build relationships, set expectations, empower learning, and support diverse needs? There are so many factors that contribute to an effective classroom. Technology alone won't result in an excellent classroom experience. But if you can leverage your knowledge of technology to support all the other components of an outstanding classroom, you're a top draft pick for sure!

7. If you are one of the distinguished educators who are both tech geek and teaching geek, you have an obligation to share your knowledge with others. We all want to learn from you.

Question: What makes you a teaching geek or a tech geek? Respond on Twitter or Facebook.


Sunday, October 18, 2015

Why building commitment is better than gaining compliance



Education seems to be the worst about trying to 'fix' the system with the latest program or the next big thing. Ask just about any teacher who has been in the profession a few years and they will trace how this program came and then faded and then the next thing came along, and it seems like a never ending cycle. I've heard this same narrative for the 20 years I've been an educator, both as a teacher and as an administrator. And, it's frustrating.
We keep trying to improve by implementing a new thing, a new policy, a new set of standards, when these strategies are not ultimately the most important thing to improve. Todd Whitaker has been quoted widely, proclaiming "it's not about programs, it's about people." And we know, almost intuitively, instinctively, that this is true. But the programs and 'accountability plans' keep coming. And the very thing that is intended to improve education is killing creativity and hindering innovation.


But don't we need new ideas in education? Aren't our schools in need of a major update to meet the challenges of today? Absolutely! But the answers to the questions we face aren't found in external mandates. We need to unleash the problem-solving power of the people who have their boots on the ground, the educators working every day in schools. What we need is to find ways to empower teaching and build even stronger commitment among educators.

Building commitment will always be better than gaining compliance, and here's why. Commitment results in buy-in, belief, investment, ownership, and extra effort. Compliance, on the other hand, is little more than checking a box or filling out a form. It may result in some change in behavior, but it may only get the appearance of a change in behavior. As soon as the new thing isn't monitored closely, old ways return. There isn't any lasting change.

So how do we get more commitment? We remove the barriers to true collaboration and communication in schools. We ask teachers their opinions. We value their ideas. We get everyone at the table. We set goals, but we get the goal-setting as close to the action as possible. The graphic below suggests that classroom level goals have far more impact than district or school goals. So why do we continue to write comprehensive school improvement plans that are longer than Gone With the Wind?

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I believe the greatest thing we can do to improve our schools is invest in people and their ideas--cultivate innovation and risk-taking within schools. When we have compliance-driven cultures, teachers are often afraid to try something new. What if it doesn't work? What if my test scores are lower? What if my principal doesn't like it? This type of thinking sucks the passion out of being an educator. Educators are thinkers and problem-solvers and need the opportunity to explore whatever ideas they believe have the potential to improve learning.

When rich conversations are happening in schools, it becomes the source of amazing synergy. This idea was magnified in my thinking by the book Crucial Conversations (2012). It details how we need to have more authentic, completely honest conversations in organizations, and even in families and other relationships, where we share ideas openly and confront problems constructively. The authors shared how synergy develops:
"As everyone on the team began to explain his or her opinion, people formed a clearer and more complete picture of the circumstances. As they began to understand the whys and wherefores of different proposals, they built off one another. Eventually, as one idea led to the next, and then to the next, they came up with an alternative no one had originally thought of and that all wholeheartedly supported. As a result of the free flow of meaning, the whole (final choice) was truly greater than the sum of the original parts." (p. 25)
And so we need to get more input from teachers, and even students and parents, as we seek solutions that are unique to our individual schools. And here is the best part. This is really important. As people develop a shared meaning and have a voice in the solutions they develop, they willingly act on whatever decisions they make. They get behind the decision and put the full measure of their conviction behind it.








Wednesday, July 1, 2015

Goodbye Twitter life, maybe we'll reconnect after the days of summer

As many of you know, the life of an educator can be all-consuming. When your work is purpose-filled and mission-driven, there is always a sense that there is more to do, more to contribute, a bigger impact to make. And the work is big. There are many challenges to overcome. There are many students in need of better opportunities. There are many ways we can and need to improve our schools, so they reflect the world we live in today and not the one we once knew or our parents once knew. So I remain committed to the work, to my purpose as an educator, to sharing my voice, and to growing alongside other passionate educators through my PLN.

But for the month of July, I will mostly retreat from Twitter, blogging, and all other social media. There may be an occasional post of inspiration or personal share. But for the most part, I will pull back as I completely restructure my time. You see, there are five people in my life who are counting on me more than anyone else. They call me husband and dad. And they have often gotten whatever is leftover after my life was poured out for school and work. And I realize they need the best of me. Time is moving forward and no legacy is more important than the legacy of one's family. So for July, I will spend my time wholly devoted to Lori, Drew, Cooper, Maddie, and Emma.

I plan to return to consistent work and presence in my PLN for August and beyond. The connections and learning I have experienced through this community have been invaluable. The support is tremendous. The shared sense of meaning and motivation is powerful to carry the work forward. Thank you for being a part of my learning journey.


Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Avoid these 5 critical mistakes in #edtech planning

Photo credit: http://ln.koneka.com/wp-content/images/technology_planning.png
If you've been in education very long, you've probably seen money wasted on some technology initiative. This year our school is going 1:1 with Chromebooks, and it is very exciting to think about how the devices will support learning in our building. But I feel a great sense of responsibility to ensure that the significant investment by our district (and ultimately our taxpayers) results in a more relevant and more effective learning experience for students. Careful planning should help us avoid some of the catastrophic failures that have happened in other schools (LA Unified for example). In fact, I am confident that with the proper implementation, tech initiatives are a necessary investment to greatly improve opportunities for students. So why are millions of dollars wasted each year on failed technology initiatives?

1. Schools purchase technology without considering exactly how it will be used to support learning. More than likely, there is at least a vague idea of the purpose of the tools, but the clear development of a vision and the communication of that vision is lacking. We should never make digital acquisitions simply because "our middle school students really don't have access to much technology." We aren't spending our school budgets just to say we have digital resources. That type of thinking makes 'having technology' more important than 'using technology' to add value. We need to have a clear idea of how digital access will benefit learning.

2. Schools purchase technology without considering the total cost of ownership. I hear the stories all the time in my work with teachers. Our school district bought laptops, but no one considered the expense of support and repairs. Or, we got these devices but our wireless network wasn't sufficient and now there's no money to make the needed upgrades. Or, we had this technology dumped in our laps, but there was no training for teachers. The total cost of ownership should be considered and allowances made for important contingencies that may not have been anticipated.

3. Schools fail to get buy-in from teachers, students, parents, etc. Without the buy-in of key stakeholders, a learning initiative (involving tech or not) will most likely fail to achieve its full potential. So how do we get buy-in? Have conversations about why the initiative is important. Ask questions. Get feedback from those who will be involved. Truly listen. Communicate the vision and consistently offer information and education on how the initiative will impact student learning. Finally, develop leaders from among these stakeholder groups and invite them along to help with the effort.

4. Schools purchase technology without providing support for teachers. This is one of the most common complaints from teachers about tech initiatives, "These devices were just dumped in our classrooms without any training or support." There needs to be a plan for helping teachers learn more about how tech can help with learning. Notice I didn't say that PD or training needs to be scheduled. There is nothing wrong with having training, but I think it's even more powerful to have a culture of sharing, communicating, and learning that is ongoing and teacher-driven. I want ownership for professional learning to be shared by the individual(s), and not just the responsibility of the organization. Another important area of support is related to help being available when the technology isn't working. Teachers need responsive tech departments who can assist.

5. Schools purchase technology with no plan for how to determine if the effort is working successfully. If we are going to spend significant amounts of money, and invest valuable resources of time and effort on a learning-focused technology initiative, there needs to be a clear idea of what success will look like. What types of learning improvements are we ultimately seeking, and how will know our students are gaining from this as we intended? These indicators of success need to be revisited often.


Monday, June 22, 2015

8 Digital Tools to Enhance Your PLN


Every connected educator needs to find tools to help with search, content delivery, communication, and digital curation. I regularly experiment with different tools to improve my work flow and help me get the most out of my personal learning network (PLN).

The basic foundation of my PLN is Twitter, and so these tools are companions to Twitter and help me get the most out of it. They also help me contribute better content, because I want to learn from my PLN, but I also want to add value and share content that needs to be shared.

Here are 10 tips for leveraging the power of personal and professional learning!

1. Twitter advanced search--Instead of performing a normal Google search, I will often use Twitter to search for information on a particular topic. Google dominates search, and its advanced search features are impressive. But I also really like advanced Twitter search. It has a variety of operators from which to query, and you don't even have to be logged in to Twitter to use it.

Search by Words. In the advanced Twitter search interface, it is possible to be drill-down more precisely to get the results you really desire.