It’s all a matter of framing. The language we choose leads to the way we think about and approach things as well as work through the realities of our lives. If we frame situations as problems then we tend to look at trying to solve them. If we frame situations as opportunities then we tend [...]
I Used To Think . . . And Now I Think . . .edited by Richard F. Elmore (2011) is a book that is causing me to ponder and reflect. I like that. It contains twenty essays from leading educators about things they used to think … and things they now think. It is a [...]
An organization’s culture is made up of its folklore, it rituals, its group norms, and its meeting protocols. All of these cultural ingredients influence the organization’s adaptability. Heifetz , et la: Adaptive Leadership 2009 p 57 ~ Understanding the culture is paramount to being able to help change it for the better. The culture of [...]
Employees Wanted . . . that can combine software, art, math, creativity, writing, gaming, education, composing, and marketing Thomas L. Friedman and Michael Mandelbaum the authors of That Used To Be Us, 2011 p.70 -71 make the case for how fast and dramatically the world of work can change. They explain that it is clear [...]
The main goals of this initiative were to provide up to 300 members with portable, Apple iPad 2 mobile devices to: Facilitate their communication with their district staff Provide experiences with the use of real-time data in the decision-making process Promote interdistrict, superintendent level, collaboration and problem solving on a variety of educational issues and [...]
We school leaders know that some of our students are tech savvy and we know that many of our students are without access and opportunity for adequate technology experience. We also know that the adult world our students will enter will be full of technology. Thomas L. Friedman and Michael Mandelbaum the authors of That Used To Be [...]
Many Americans are unaware of the young minds around the globe who are competing and will complete with American graduates. As Americans and as educators 0 globalization and technology expertise can not be taken lightly! 1 Zhejiang University 2 University of Michigan at Ann Arbor 3 Tsinghua University 4 St. Petersburg State University 5 Nizhny Novgorod State University 6 Saratov State [...]
Roland Heifetz, Alexander Grashow and Marty Linsky in their book -The Practice of Adaptive Leadership: Tools and Tactics for Changing Your Organization and the World (2009 p 13-17) write about how Adaptive Leadership has roots in evolutionary biology. I think they make a lot of sense. This information can help us as we lead our systems toward more [...]
Sometimes we think we need to fight through a problem or an issue Sometimes we are almost compelled to ‘not be swayed’ by the thoughts of others Sometimes we are not able to see the value of the thinking of others We need to get good at arriving at ‘thought through’ not ‘fought through’ outcomes [...]
Leadership is working with others. Obviously. Otherwise it wouldn’t be leadership. As a new school year starts your work with others and especially with those who report to you will be a measure of your success. It has been my experience that each of us can always improve our relationships and our communication skills. Continual [...]
Greater opportunities to apply literacy Stronger motivation to use literacy behaviors Strategically reading to learn and/or to be entertained Strategically writing to make meanings and/or to accomplish purposes Thoughtful reading for meaning Greater expression and clarity in writing Reading and writing with confidence Speaking with precision and clarity Actively listening with comprehension Persistent thinkers demonstrating [...]
COLLABORATIVE ENDEVORS > parallel play FORWARD MOTION > being stuck APPRECIATIVE INQUIRY > traditional problem solving CREATE THE FUTURE > status quo OPPORTUNITIES > problems AUDACITY > Accepting Status Quo HOPE > fear STORIES > lectures AN IMPROVED FUTURE > the status quo ADAPTIVE CHANGE > status quo NAMING THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM [...]
Can more of our students be successful? Can schools adapt and change to meet the learning needs and styles of many more students. Can technology be leveraged increase the learning of more of our students? What is the role of school leaders to accomplish this? My reactions to these questions is: Intentionally working through change [...]
People usually have absolute clarity about what they do not want; the challenge of leadership is to help people define with precision and accurac y what they do want. When we help others see what could be, we develop inspiration and aspiration that challenge and promotes breakthrough thinking and actions. ~ Susan Scott, Fierce Conversations (2002) The [...]
[Effective] “Leaders realize that humans grow intellectually through resolving differences, achieving consensus, and stretching to accommodate dissonance. They realize there is greater possibility for making connections, stimulating creativity, and growing the capacity for complex problem solving when such differences are bridged. Interdependent learning communities are built, not by obscuring diversity, but by valuing the friction those differences [...]
In the 1840′s Dr. Ignatz Semmelweiss found that deaths in maternity wards dropped to near zero when all medical personal washed their hands. Yet, it took 30 for the medical community to take note, by responding to Louis Pasteur’s endorsement of the hand washing procedure. And even after his endorsement it took thirty more years [...]
Learning is about access and opportunity. Learning can appear to be magical, yet it is always about a connection. The learner’s brain grows new synapses. Or existing synapses interrelate to/with other existing synapses. To learn is action: action in the brain. Even if the new skill is physical – it is about brains growing and [...]
Can we as leaders leverage more learning for our students by continuing to explore the power of integrating more technology into learning opportunities? People that have thought a lot about organizations and how they work have come to the conclusion that, just like people, organizations have “inner dialogues”. I think that’s true. I think it [...]
Truly creative people use the gap between vision and current reality to generate energy for change. – Peter Senge I like Senge’s quote. I like it because it validates the need for ‘vision’. Vision, to me is the key to the kind of change we need. Those of us committed to dramatically improved outcomes know [...]
Here are two quotes from Albert Einstein ~ “No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it. We must learn to see the world anew.” “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a [...]
Please watch this short (a little over a minute) video. It is an awareness test. Maybe after you watch it once you will want to watch it again. I know I wanted to do this. Enjoy! Please click here. AND please watch the video before reading the rest of this post. A person can [...]
Wow! You have to love it when a town comes together to make some magic. Grand Rapids, Michigan has done just that. Magic! I share this, not to suggest that a school district would or should do the same thing as you will see in the video and to suggest that telling your story through [...]
Recently I saw a DeWitt Jones video on creativity and the power that comes when people celebrate what is right with the world. It was inspiring. As I reflect – I find myself both full of dreams for the future and appreciation for the present. And as an educator – my thoughts are about improving [...]
In the Washington Post article by Renee Hawkins on Friday May 13 she clearly states that ‘online learning is an international phenomenon” and backs up this claim with facts such as the following: • Turkey now has 15 million K-12 students learning online. • South Korea has started a national virtual school. • The Middle [...]
We, who are reading this blog, are so very privileged. I think we can all benefit form being reminded of that from time to time. We have so very much to appreciate!!! Please take 3 minutes to watch: If the world were 100 people – updated 2010. The following book is a great picture book [...]
All rights reserved. Discovery Education is a Division of Discovery Communications LLC. Discovery Educator Network is a service of Discovery Education. Copyright © 2007 Discovery Education.