Positive Takeaways from #IMMOOC

Participating in the global, non-traditional book study, the Innovator’s Mindset MOOC, was one of the most powerful professional learning approaches. George Couros reminds us in The Innovator's Mindset that we need a "shift in learning to create a shift in thinking." The #IMMOOC did just that. In addition to reading the book, Couros and Katie Martin facilitated five weekly sessions around the book which included the following:

• a live YouTube feed with practitioners;

•  a reflective piece;

•  a personalization of the content; and

•  collaborative dialogue with others. 

The YouTube feed was later posted for others to watch if they could not attend the live sessions. During the broadcast, viewers could message as well as tweet about their learning, thoughts, suggestions, and questions. This kept participants engaged in the learning.  Participants were then asked to do a reflective piece on the section. These started as videos, but creativity and innovation sparked; reflections evolved to beautiful sketches, presentations, and memes. The next task focused on blogging through prompts and thought-provoking ideas. Not only were people expected to blog, but they were asked to read other blogs posted with the hashtag in Twitter and on the #IMMOOC Facebook group. The social media and hashtag fostered collaborative, inspiring dialogue among practitioners. 

This experience has given me ideas to lead my staff and students. We no longer need to be limited by the walls of our classrooms and buildings. The world is endless with possibilities. We can tap into countless resources, experts, peer groups across our nation and around the world. If I want my teachers to take these types of risks, I need to model it, encourage them, and create an environment where it is not only acceptable to do something different but expected. This also means that failure, reflecting, and growing are a part of that culture. 

Thank you, George Couros, for leading by example, your thought-provoking book and ideas, and your countless support to practitioners around the world. #LeadPositive

Positive Outcomes with Innovative Practices in Education

I never have all the answers. My best thoughts come from reflection and collaboration with others. I look forward to reading other responses to this week's IMMOOC blog prompt: How might we measure the impact of innovative practices in education?

To understand "impact," we first must understand and define conceptually and operationally what innovative practices are.  This could be a dissertation topic. However, here's an attempt that is not a comprehensive explanation as much as it is a brainstorming start and compilation of resources.

Innovation is the final outcome and includes evolving and changing for the better which means environments, assessments,  and education are no longer traditional. They are transformational. The Florida TIM (Technology Integration Matrix) and the Communication By Design's version of ITM (Instructional transformation matrix) illustrates the continuum and shifts. Danielson's framework also assesses the shifts as her highest teacher rating come from the student involvement.

Innovative Practices: (Allen Distinguished Educator Source):

1. Maker Movement
2. Inquiry-Based Techniques
3. Collaborative Teacher Network
4. Flipped Instruction
5. Real-World Project-Based Learning
6. Professional Community Experts
7. Passions

Student-Centered Practices: (Hubba and Freed)

1. Students are able to apply the learning.
2. Students receive feedback (preferably from multiple parties).
3. Students become sophisticated knowers.
4. Learning is interpersonal for the students.
5. Students are actively involved in their learning.
6. Teachers also demonstrate that they are learners.
7. Teachers coach students.
8. Students understand characteristics of excellent work.
9. Students integrate both general and subject-based skills.
10. Teachers intertwine teaching and assessing.

21st-Century Skills: (P21) Skills with examples at Milan Middle School #PowerUpMMS

1. CREATIVITY & INNOVATION

• Classroom Design
• Technology Integration
• Student-Centered Approaches
• Project-Based Learning

2. CRITICAL THINKING & PROBLEM SOLVING                              

• Inquiry-Based Projects
• Student Reflection
• PTM
• Self and Peer Assessment

3. COMMUNICATION & COLLABORATION     

• PTM
• LMS
• Group Projects/Assignments
• Writing, Acting, and Public Speaking

4. FLEXIBILITY & ADAPTABILITY

• LMS
• Student Choice
• Modeling

5. INITIATIVE & SELF-DIRECTION

• LMS
• Student Choice
• 20 Time

6. SOCIAL & CROSS-CULTURAL SKILLS

• Character Counts Lessons
• Groups
• Events
• Literature
• Field Trips

7. PRODUCTIVITY & ACCOUNTABILITY

• Standards-Based Grading
• NWEA
• LMS

8. LEADERSHIP & RESPONSIBILITY

• Student Council
• Events: Quiz Bowl, Spelling Bee, Poetry Slam
• Enrichments
• Charity
• PBIS

Environment and Culture: (Scott Edinger)

1. Focus on outcomes
2. Develop reciprocal trust
3. Challenge the status quo
4. Be inspiring

Measures:Characteristics of the learning environment: (Florida Matrix)

1. Active
2. Collaborative
3. Constructive
4. Authentic
5. Goal-Directed

Transformation: (Florida Matrix)

At the Transformation level:

1.  Students use technology tools flexibly to achieve specific learning outcomes.

2. Students have a conceptual understanding of the tools coupled with extensive practical knowledge about their use.

3. Students apply that understanding and knowledge, and students may extend the use of technology tools.

4. They are encouraged to use technology tools in unconventional ways and are self-directed in combining the use of various tools.

5. The teacher serves as a guide, mentor, and model in the use of technology.

6. Technology tools are often used to facilitate higher order learning activities that would not otherwise have been possible or would have been difficult to accomplish without the use of technology.

This framework is entirely based on the work of others and is just one of the many ways to look at understanding and trying to measure innovation.

8 Positive Approaches for Both Child and Adult Learners

Learner-centered approaches are important to making learning meaningful, engaging, and personal.

Whether a teacher, leader, or student, learning needs to involve several approaches. For me professionally, the learning that I have been involved in has been more valuable when these 8 approaches are used.

With Twitter, MEMSPA (Michigan Elementary and Middle School Principals Association), my professional association, and now the #IMMOC, I have been exposed to several of approaches Couros recommends.

Voice: EdCamps, Twitter Chats, and interactive sessions have given me the opportunity to use and have voice. I can learn from others and share that learning. While this is a responsibility of the participant and I am more willing than many to share, a good facilitator will give all participants a chance to express, connect, and voice his/her learning.

Choice-Based PD and Learning: Having choice both personalizes and gives participants the chance to develop skills that are needed. I can search these out on Twitter and join chats to help me develop my areas of weakness. I also attend sessions at conferences that will fit my needs.

Reflection: Not only personal reflection is important, but reflective dialogue with others will have more of an impact on creating the change we seek. The  #IMMOOC has been some of the best PD to allow this. Reading other blogs and comments on my own is a constant cycle of reflecting, learning, connecting, and analysis. Twitter chats and many sessions that I have been to have now built this in. I love when there's an accountability piece (to myself and others).

Innovation: I tend to pick sessions that will enhance my knowledge and push innovation. #IMMOOC has been both a challenge and fun. Blogging out of my normal scope, sharing and reflecting out to a community, and most importantly being exposed to so much innovation and creativity of the #IMMOOC and #InnovatorsMindset community. MEMSPA has also worked to create learning beyond the traditional approaches. I love Thursday night #MEMSPAchats!

Critical Thinking/Problem Solving:This is one where my graduate classes at #EMU have been top notch. Inquiry-based and problem-based projects that extend over a course of learning with personal connections can be very rewarding. This is more difficult in shorter stints, but it can be done. I would like to see more challenges given to us adult learners that would force us to both collaborate and combine resources.#IMMOOC has done this by asking up to do both new types of reflections and getting involved in other participants learning.

Self-Assessment: This is lacking too unless we force ourselves to do it and do it often. I was fortunate that this was a part of my coursework and continues to be embedded in my professional evaluation. I used self-reflection and also reflect on 360 data which includes perception data of all stakeholders.

Connected Learning: MEMSPA, Twitter, #IMMOOC have all been connected learning. I am learning beyond my building, my district, and my state. I have been in touch with experts like +George Couros, @bengilpin,  @MrDomagalski, @Toddwhitaker, and many, many others.  We need to do the same for our students.

Bottom Line: You get out of learning what you put into it. Helping our students have more intrinsic desire to get more will be boosted when we use more learner-centered approaches like the "8 Look Fors" by Couros.

Learning 2.0: Establishing Positive Leaning Environments

Chapter 6 in The Innovators Mindset does use "traditional school"
(Couros, 2015, pg. 101)

While I would suggest this graphic read "Traditional School" and "Effective Learning," it is right on par with the shift we are making in both teaching and learning at Milan Middle School. Teaching and learning are on an instructional practices continuum that ranges from teacher-centered to student-centered. I would say that "school" has variations on that continuum and is not just one or the other. With the shifts in Common Core, 21st Century Skills, and Project/Inquiry-Based Learning, the first column in this  graphic doesn't give all of these shifts and the work educators are putting into their practice enough credit. 

We need to shift our practices to engage our youth. Some of the best ways to do that are through student-centered approaches that allow students to drive their learning, demonstrate their understanding, and help them prove mastery of content in meaningful ways to the the student. This type of instruction is active for the students; it has a feedback loop; and it involves collaborating with peers and the teacher (as facilitator). 

Student-Centered Instructional Practice: “beliefs, actions, processes, philosophies, ways of doing things, and ways of making sense of the purpose of education based on the belief that the outcome defining successful teaching is what the student learned. Subsets within the learner-centered instructional paradigm include such practices as collaborative learning and active learning” (King, 2000, p. 8).  

The "Learning" column in the first graphic is describing that student-centered instructional approach. Through my dissertation, many of Hubba and Freed's (2000) descriptors were supported as having an impact on changing teacher practice to be more student-centered. These included student feedback, treating students as sophisticated knowers, making learning intrapersonal and active, using the teacher as a coach or facilitator of learning, helping student understand what quality work is, making sure students understand application of that work, incorporating teaching and assessing, and using both general and subject-based skills. 

Created by Jaclyn Stevens

At MMS, teachers use "I can" statements, but many also make the objective the essential question. Even students create questions to answer. Students are not limited by exemplars; they can advocate ways to demonstrate their mastery of content. Using student interest is key to connecting learning. Many teachers use learning management systems, such as Schoology or Google Classroom and some are now even blending the learning, so learning can happen anywhere, any time, and at any pace. The learning is collaborative. The teachers take risks and demonstrate to students that they are learners too. We are using the SAMR model to help us and our students dig deeper into their understanding.  These are just a few shifts that we are making at MMS to establish a positive learning environment. A major building goal this year is to transform our practices. I am fortunate enough to have a great, risk-taking, innovative staff who truly wants what's best for our kids. #PowerUpMMS