CHANGEd: What if we used the Big Shifts to evolve? 60-60-60 #56

Posted on May 3, 2012 by boadams1

Do educators really listen to the leaders of our national organizations? Shouldn’t we? As a member of an NAIS (National Association of Independent Schools) school, I believe I should listen and respond to the leadership of Pat Bassett. Will you take 27 minutes to watch his talk about the Big Shifts for schools of the future? Isn’t it worth 27 minutes to understand more fully how our NAIS president believes schools must be disturbed and evolve to become relevant and effective schools of the future? And it’s not just for independent schools; it’s for all schools!

Oh, watching and listening is only a start. We should be inspired to DO. We should be inspired to ACT.

As I have continued to plan for a faculty meeting that I will not be leading in August 2012, I would add Pat’s TEDx talk to my list of “brainfood” resources. And I think I would add the NAIS Commission on Accreditation’s – A Guide to Becoming a School of the Future.

CHANGEd: What if…60-60-60 Project Explained

CHANGEd: What if we built school-innovation labs…in schools? 60-60-60 #34

Posted on April 10, 2012 by boadams1

This weekend, I watched the first TED talk below, which comes from Lucy McRae. McRae worked at Philips Electronics in the Far Future Design Research Lab. Some time ago, I watched the second TED talk below, which comes from Homaru Cantu and Ben Roche. Cantu and Roche utilize a research lab to design dining innovations for their Chicago restaurants Moto and ING.

If the future of schooling is as important as electronics and restaurant-ing, why aren’t more schools operating research and innovation labs or partnering together to do so? Sure, there are pockets of innovation in many schools – usually particular teachers who are innovating practice. But are there many systemic approaches to building and operating “school laboratories” within existing schools?! There should be! Transforming existing schools may depend on such R&D efforts.

Lucy McRae: How can technology transform the human body?

Homaro Cantu + Ben Roche: Cooking as alchemy

[NOTE: After I scheduled this post to auto-publish, John Burk left a great, related comment on 60-60-60 #32, so I am linking to it here. Also, @jbrettjacobsen and I talk quite a bit about this “school-within-a-school” idea – that existing schools seem to innovate by leveraging the non-monolithic nature of schools and amplifying the innovative practices, formal or informal institutes, etc. – essentially creating competition with oneself…two versions of one’s school. Interesting how this also relates to creative destruction concept.]

[NOTE #2: Sorry for length of this “60-word” post!]

CHANGEd: What if…60-60-60 Project Explained

CHANGEd: What if we really examined our identity as schools? 60-60-60 #16

Posted on March 23, 2012 by boadams1

Please make 23 minutes and 41 seconds to watch Bryan Stevenson’s TED talk: “We need to talk about an injustice.”

The opposite of poverty is not wealth. … In too many places, the opposite of poverty is justice.

Stevenson’s talk has me thinking almost constantly about why we are not more purposefully, more systemically, more deliberately re-examining our identity as schools. What is school for? Why are we not re-organizing more curriculum and experiences around such grand challenges of justice, fairness, inclusion,…. Through these lenses, we could practice literacies of many types, numeracy in context, social science, communication for authentic purpose. Young people have a wonderful sense of fairness. We should harness and educate this sense and make a stronger impact on our world…now.

As schools, we need to keep our eyes on the prize. The real prize.

CHANGEd: What if…60-60-60 Project Explained

[Sorry about the word count today. I failed BIG with 2x the word goal.]

CHANGEd: What if we facilitated more stuff like the Cockroach Beatbox? 60-60-60 #10

Posted on March 17, 2012 by boadams1

Colleague @jgough sent me: The Cockroach Beatbox. YouTube’s version is below. Fascinating! Made me think we should facilitate more of this kind of work with students. Yet, I hope the students would be the scientists, not just the audience. I hope they could produce the equipment, animations, video.

Then, I read comments at Cockroach Beatbox; my brain sparked to invaluable discussion and debate possibilities, too.

CHANGEd: What if…60-60-60 Project Explained

CHANGEd: What if we empowered the introverts before trying to change them? 60-60-60 #8

Posted on March 15, 2012 by boadams1

“Susie is a fabulous student! However, she is so quiet. I wish she would speak up more in class.” How many times have I read, heard, written, and said such. “Educare,” though, the root of education, means to draw out. It’s 2012! Technology makes it even more possible to empower introverts to share their thinking in “alternatively audible” ways. Polling, quick writing, Google docs, backchanneling, etc. What if we scaffolded, not “scolded?” What if we empowered the introverts before trying to change them?