I love #IMMOOC

     This has been a life changing last 6 weeks.  I have been re-awaken!  I think that finding like minded people has reconfirmed my thinking about innovation, and all things technology.  I’m blogging again but this time at a deeper level.  At this point the fluff is gone.  My blog has taken on a different vibe.  I’m thinking that I need to blog about my successes and failures as a teacher and not just talking about all things first grade.

     When I got my masters 8+ years ago I took two leadership courses.  Even though I never aspired to be a principal I learned that we are all leaders in our school and if we wanted things to happen that we had to do it ourselves by being part of the solution to any problem.  I have forgotten this over the years. Our school is not as vibrant as it once was.  We have had many principals come and go. The Innovator’s Mindset has reminded me that I can be that spark that ignites my school community.

       I was inspired by another #IMMOOCer to create an inspiration project in my community.  We now have a wall full of pictures of kiddos and people who inspire others.  It has been just what we needed at my school. 

       Over these last few weeks I have been skipping around school on a bit of a high.  I’ve been reminded of how important relationships are in our school communities.  I’ve made an effort to welcome all into our school in the morning.  Instead of hanging out with my colleagues I walk to the entrance of the building to welcome students.  It has been a wonderful way to spend the beginning of my day.  That one student who comes in late every single day who I have ignored and gone on with my teaching……I’ve stopped and really welcomed her in every day like she was a treasured visitor to my classroom.  It’s those relationships that are the most important.

         I will continue to blog, continue to try new things, continue to fail and succeed within my classroom and with colleagues, continue to use twitter as my weekly PD, continue to read and follow my heart.  I’m so happy to have come across this MOOC when I did.  It has been life changing for me .  Thank you George Couros.  I will continue to follow your leadership!

Missing my kids today. 

Both are in Arizona together.

Wishing they were both home.

#IMMOOC Sketch Notes Challenge

      Sunday's video discussion was terrific.  If only all of our school directors could be like these 4 amazing educational leaders Beth Taylor Houf, Shelley Burgess, Katie Martin, George Couros #leadlikeapirate.  There were so many great messages...Leaders have to give trust to empower people.....Everyone is responsible for the Positiveness of the school......Culture Matters....Less is more.  Great ideas were also imbedded into the conversation....Genius Hour PD, and Letting teachers SHINE by empowering others and Leading Like a Pirate.

Creating Sketch Notes was a hard challenge for me this week.  It meant that I had to take great notes during the video.  It was difficult to keep up with the chat going on during the discussion. Then I had to really think and plan out what statements and layout I was going to use.  I love how sketch notes look.  I'm not sure that I could create this very often.  

Thanks George for pushing me to try something new.  I've been surprising myself with all my new learning.  I can't believe we only have one more week left in our MOOC.

Our Twitter chat this week was again the fastest hour in my week.  My  twitter PLN is growing.  I look forward to our next #IMMOOC chat on Wednesday, at 9:00 pm EST.

Looking forward to 
warm sunny summer
weather.

"Strength" in Numbers Better Blogging with Buddies

        This week I chose a fantastic teacher to blog with my friend and colleague Tonya Caswell.  This challenge was a wonderful experience that brought the best out in both of us.  

    This idea of teaching to the strengths of a child and not their weaknesses has such a positive spin from the negative, what you can't do mentality.  I think I have always used this when working with students to help build their confidence within the classroom.

      There needs to be a culture shift away from focusing on what kids can’t do. It starts from the top down.  Standardized testing results is driving our instruction.  Our funding depends on standardized testing results.  Which causes a teach to the test mentality.  That does not allow us to focus on student strengths.  It seems to create this manic pressure to perform well.  We take time away from good first instruction to practice the TEST!  We are not prioritizing the development of a growth mindset, we are  focusing on proficiency and task completion.  Due to the weight these tests are given to determine schools’ success, in reporting results the media only focuses on what our kids can’t do.  This results in communities that focus on failure.

      Innovators are those that are performing under these constraints, but prioritize  developing life long learners through the modeling of using a growth mindset and building on students strengths and interests.  Teachers who know their students and leaders who know their staff build stronger learning communities.

Nothing good comes from working in isolation.

Thank you Tonya for your opinions and thoughts.

Vision #IMMOOCB3

              My vision for education is that all students learn in a caring, nurturing, supportive environment that allows students to form their own ideas around what and how they learn.  That innovation is at the forefront of our curriculum.  That the leaders of our school support and encourage educators to create classrooms that foster risk-taking, failure/success model, problem solving, and relationships.

        I want my students to be excited every day to come to school.  When problems arise for students I don’t want them to back down and give up……I want perservance to be in their vocabulary.  I want my students to have an understanding that this is not an egocentric world that is all about them…….It is a world where everyone matters and we are all working for the good of others.

Be Present #IMMOOCB2

         I loved the idea of having our leaders become a student for a day  The empathy and understanding of what it’s like for our students.  Taking the perspective of a child can change the thinking for everyone.  The observation for the type of day, the environment, the rigor in the curriculum and the tasks themselves can help a leader see students through a different lens.  Reflection of this perspective can lead to Innovation. Leaders can help  take educators out of their comfort zones to improve their practice and change ways of thinking.

        There are days that go by that I never cross paths with our school leader.  What a marvelous idea of mobilizing our leader’s daily office, by hanging out in classrooms instead of the office.  This is truly “being present” in our schools.   This can help our school leaders get a handle or a vibe for what is happening in our school setting.  It can be a way for our leaders to offer support to our innovative staff.  I believe that innovation doesn’t just happen.  There has to be thought of, sweat, collaboration, excitement, support and ideas for some change.  Let’s be the change by being present!

Stella arrived and dumped about 3 feet of snow!

I'd rather blog than shovel.

#IMMOOCB1 Trust in Relationships

       As an educator I have always believed in the idea of teams but it’s hard to be a team when you go into your room and close your door to do your work.  I have always enjoyed an “open door” policy.  I’ve got nothing to hide and I love having people come to observe my practice.  My first grade team takes care of each other.  We trust and honor each other’s thoughts, share, and help when the going gets rough. George Couros says “it is far easier to trust someone when you have a relationship with that person.”  Just like my team. 

       I only wish my principal had a relationship with his teaching staff……trust and belief in our work with children seems to have been thrown out the window.  My wish is to have a leader that believes in his staff and trusts that our goals for children are the same.  Why is it necessary for a principal to control everything?  It creates decent amongst our staff.  I want a perfect world.  “As leaders in education, our job is not to control those whom we serve but to unleash their talent.” George Couros  Why do I feel like I’m hiding my talent?

☺

#IMMOOC It's All About the Kids!

 Wow!  The deeper I delve into The Innovator’s Mindset by George Couros, the amazing growth in my own learning.  I loved the video discussion with George, Katie Martin, and Sarah Thomas of edumatch.com   Edumatch.com is finding like-minded people to carry on THE conversation with.  I will be checking that out.

 "If it’s not better for kids, and if you don’t know your kids and what they need, than the innovation is frivolous.”  Katie Martin  Innovation is doing something new and better…..but remember that’s tied to “what’s better for kids.” Not just what’s better.  It’s really all about the kids.  We do need to meet the needs of the kids.  This is critical to innovation.  Just because I'm doing new and flashy things with technology doesn't mean I'm an innovator.  Say it with me....."It's all about the kids."

I have a hard time when I hear the leader of my school say that all kids in first grade will receive the same education in any one of the 3 classrooms.  Really?  It’s not fair to the kids to be “Stepford Teachers”.   I don’t expect anyone to have the same passions that I have for teaching.  So it’s really going to look very different in my classroom than in the other 2 classrooms.  I think that’s okay.  Other teachers often just smile at me and say “Wow! I can’t do what you do!”  But in fact they can.

Teachers are not scared of change…..they are scared of spending all their time to do something that has no impact.  George Couros I am amazed how the leaders in my school are not pushing me to have an impact on the kids in my class.  We do spend time doing work that is not helping with my growth as a teacher.  It’s my own desire to address the needs of kids through my own innovation.  I want my kiddos to be deep thinkers and problem solvers.  They aren’t going to get that through worksheets or just playing on computer games.  Don’t get me wrong…..gaming is very important to the technology movement in our schools but it really needs a purpose.  Just letting them play is really not what’s best for kids.

Making connections with other innovators opens up a whole new world.  This book has the gears clicking away in my head.  I’m excited to push myself further to in the pursuit of innovative growth…….wait is that new hash tag???……#innovativegrowth   the reflection piece to document my change overtime.   YES!

New plan:

1.     Document my growth overtime……I have forgotten to do that over my 30 years of teaching.

2.     Make more connections through hashtags and not just people….love this George

3.     Continue to seek support and space to nurture growth to get the BEST results with kids…..thanks Sarah Thomas

4.     And to Share Share Share…..Sarah is right!  Sharing is a way to excite others to want to be innovative with their own growth.

I’m looking forward to our Wednesday Twitter Chat on #IMMOOC!  It’s the fastest hour in my whole week……I have to spend an extra hour just catching up to all of the dialog.  I love it!

Have a great week!