Category Archives: Growth Mindset

Connected Leader, Connected Learner, Digital Citizenship, Growth Mindset, ProfessionalLearning

DigCit Toronto 18

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As excitement builds for first Digital Citizenship Summit Toronto on Saturday October 27th, I look forward to participating, sharing and networking at the event.

Digital Citizenship is an ‘old‘ but important concept –  brought to life at the birth of social media.  Areas of consideration and discussion included your digital footprint, staying safe online, building and participating in online communications etc.  Educators shared ideas and resources regarding approaches to embed Digital Citizenship into the classroom. In the educational context, current work expands to digital leadership, using digital tools to solve problems, expanding understanding (global perspectives) and to move society forward in positive ways.

Context: 

I can remember the early adopter days 10-12 years ago.  Everyone, at least in my mainly educators circle,  was focusing on the potential – new connections, sharing blog posts and resources, kicking the tires on new ideas and approaches, developing your PLN etc.  The future looked bright and rosy.

When you consider how things have evolved,  the complexity is overwhelming! While I do think the ‘solid base’ I described above is still there, one must contend with Influencers, bots, fake news, the far left,  the far right, alternative agendas, promotion of “the negative”, privacy challenges etc.  We owe it to today’s youth, our students, to learn to navigate this digital landscape safely and positively with an eye for opportunity and “doing good”.

Check out related blog posts by other conference organizers Jennifer Casa Todd and Tina Zita

If this topic interests you, consider attending the first Digital Citizenship Summit Toronto,   this Saturday (October 27th, 2018). I hope to see you there!

~Mark

 

 

Growth Mindset, The Virtual Coffee Shop

Reflecting on Learning with Hyperdocs

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Alison Bullock  and I had planned to record a reflection on Learning with Hyperdocs this month.  We decided to capitalize on the amazing Banff scenery while attending the CNIE2017 conference, to record the reflection.

~Mark

21st century learning, Connected Learning, Growth Mindset, Leadership Perspective, Presentation Resource, Technology Enabled Learning, TEL

CNIE 2017 Presentation Resource

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I enjoyed the opportunity to present  The Art of Teaching in a Fast-Changing World  yesterday with  Alison Bullock  at the CNIE 2017 conference in Banff.   Our session resources are included in this post.

Video of Presentation:

~Mark

Growth Mindset, Next, ProfessionalLearning, reflection

ISBLbD reflection

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The Saturday panel at Learn by Design,  brought together panelists Colleen Broderic,  Simon Jack,  Gary Stager and Ewan McIntosh who tackled two key questions which face all education jurisdictions:

  1.  What are 3 things schools should stop doing now?

2.  What are three things schools should start doing now to disrupt schooling?

With a talented panel such as this, you would anticipate insightful answers and comments.   Conference participants were not disappointed.   Some of the perspectives that resonated with me are summarized below.

Part 1:  What are 3 things schools should stop doing now?

  • stop developing long term plans as it kills agility and iteration
  • stop expecting disruption if you are not going to cultivate the conditions to do so
  • always think about what to do next
  • stop teaching old style curriculum
  • school teaches about 1/billionth of the world knowledge, stop arguing about which 1/billionth
  • stop assuming we know how other people think
  • stop thinking you need to understand everything you are working on all the time, the price of not trying is greater
  • stop having too many meetings

Part 2: What are three things schools should start doing now to disrupt schooling?

  • ,think about partnerships differently – engage students and parents as research partners – solve/change something collectively
  • list everything you are doing, then  publicly remove things from the list
  • begin every decision with a child
  • don’t redesign schools by looking at schools,  start looking elsewhere
  • storytelling,  it is human, value who we are
  • embrace the joy of learning, happiness, laughter
  • plan a next

In my view,  the comments, counters and exchange were insightful, thoughtful and respectful.  Any one of these insights is a prompt to generate in depth probing and discussion.

Upon reflection, I would add self directed learning for staff and students into the mix.

My wondering is:   What would you add to the this list?  Anything missing?  What is on your educational mind these days? 

Please comment here or add to the  #ISBLBD twitter stream.

~Mark

Growth Mindset, Just pondering, Leadership Perspective, reflection

Leadership Journey

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In her blog post  Not All Who Wander are Lost, a Lesson in Leadership,  Tina Zita writes

… “It’s hard to give yourself that permission to wander, the permission to not take the standard path set out. Education seems to have a pretty clear pathway for leadership: step 1 leads to step 2 leads to step 3, the quicker the better. Like the city walls, they become a constant reminder of a common path I haven’t chosen to take yet. Sometimes wandering feels uncomfortable.” …

This analogy of clearing one’s mind, taking time to simply be and explore the non traditional path really resonates with me.

Personal growth is an individualized journey. I do not believe the journey is simply a long sequence of pre-planned, must follow steps – arguably, hoops to jump through.  Perhaps our professional learning looks (or should like) more like the diagram on the right  which is often used to describe student learning.

learning_is_messy

Taking time to clear your mind,  unclutter thinking, unlearn, explore options, different paths and new viewpoints IS the journey.

As  Donna Miller Fry  recently tweeted,

Take time to wander!  What will your personal professional learning journey look like?

~Mark
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Read Tina’s blog. 

‘messy image from  http://www.conferencesthatwork.com/index.php/learning/2012/04/learning-is-messy/