Positive Changes in Learning with Innovative Practices: 5 Outcomes of Using an LMS

"A way of thinking that creates something new and better" is how George Couros (2015) defines innovation in his book and guide, The Innovator's Mindset. He conceptualizes this term in chapter one, explaining what innovation both is and is not.  Emphasizing that technology is only the tool and not the outcome, innovation involves transforming the learning environments and practices to make it newer and better.

An innovative practice that leads to a more personalized learning environment (newer and better for many) is the use of learning management systems (LMS). The type of LMS doesn't matter. Teachers may use Google classroom, Schoology, Edmodo, Moodle, Blackboard or a variety of others. It is this practice that helps to make both differentiation and personalization more efficient than ever.  Here are just a few ways an LMS can foster an innovative culture and environment.

1) Reading (at the students independent and instructional levels)
Teachers can group students and/or provide individual students themed-related reading texts at their reading levels. The LMS provides a confidential way to protect students reading texts several years below grade level.

2) Flipping lessons
Teachers can record their mini lessons and post them in the LMS for students to view, pause, and replay until they can better understand the instruction. If students do watch the videos as the "homework," the teacher is available to coach, assist, and facilitate the practice and doing part of the lesson in the classroom.

3) Linking Supplemental resources
Teachers can link resources that meet different multiple intelligences, so students can have the teaching that works best for them. A variety of online resources and personal teacher works can be quickly linked for students.

4) Collaborating (with peers in the classroom to across the world)
Not only can peers work together, teachers can set groups so multiple classes--even those in other states and countries can communicate and work together. In addition, communicating online offers support to our introverted students who need more time to think about what they want to say (post).

5) Engaging students (with digital media and personal choice)
Videos, social media, electronics, and several other forms of technology are tools used is today's students daily lives. This is a way to grab and keep their attention. Teachers can embed and link videos and a variety of other multi-media tools. Students can access and use those that are best for their learning.

Learning managements systems are an innovative practice, helping to make teaching and learning better (and more efficient). Instructional leaders can even use them to flip staff meetings and create a culture of professional leaning. The use of these systems is developing many of the skills students need to have for school and beyond.

Educating for a Better Tomorrow

As I read the book, Innovator's Mindset, for the second time, I reflect on the introduction and try to answer the question, "What is the purpose of education?" as well as explain why innovation is so important to education. This quest makes me think back to Simon Sinek's Ted Talk and "Start with the Why" approach. (shortened video link)

Why do we educate youth? Why do teachers, leaders, and other educators dedicate so much of their time to the profession of educating students? While many people internalize their own reasoning, I believe the BIGGEST "why" we have centers around the desire to inspire and have an impact on creating a better tomorrow. This is usually articulated in the phrase, "to make a difference" by many educators and leaders.

At the moment, it is more challenging and demanding than it has ever been to make education relevant and engaging by personalizing learning and creating authentic learning experiences. Traditional practices and teaching to the middle no longer prepare students with what they need to know for what they need to do and become.

To create a better tomorrow, we need to connect with students, teach to the whole child, and instill the drive and courage to take risks to become the best versions ourselves (both educators and students). The need exists to continue to evolve our communities, countries, and world to be better for the next generation.

While this is a more challenging time in education and extremely demanding on educators, we have more tools, practices, access and reach to create engaging, meaningful, and personalized experiences for our students. Shifting our practices to offer more student choice and direction is helping to foster not only the knowledge required but also developing the skills demanded for tomorrow's world.

This brings us to why innovation is so crucial--to Simon Sinek's "How" circle. Innovation is creating change that transforms education, learning, and outcomes. We can only expect our students to be as innovative and creative and passionate about education as their teachers are. Furthermore, we can only expect our educators to be as innovative, creative, and passionate about teaching and learning as their leaders are.

In doing this, we need to be more thoughtful about restricting technology and come up with ways to teach appropriate use, make teaching and learning more efficient and personal, as well as prepare students for a world that doesn't even exist--a better world. We need to practice and model the skills we are asking students to develop. We need to take risks, learning from each other and our students. It will be a collective and collaborative approach to educate for a better tomorrow. 

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.

Embracing Change with Positivity

"Change is an opportunity to do something amazing" (#InnovatorsMindset @gcouros). 

I used to teach the book Who Moved My Cheese? to my seniors. The book spoke to me since I was a newer teacher and had visions of doing things differently. While some of the staff were excited and the principal supported my vision, others hemmed and hawed like the mouse characters in the book. 

Now as an instructional leader, I want to embrace and support change, especially change that is going to foster the skills our students need for their futures. I try to #LeadPositive by also modeling this type of change for my staff. I read Innovators Mindset over the summer and was both hooked and inspired. 

My opening building PD used modules from ASCD's Teaching Innovation and Creativity series. I even had staff use Schoology to have their discussions that day and will continue this practice throughout our journey this year. What sparked the most passion was the relevant and fun team building activity that we opened our day with: Chopped for Educators.

#PowerUpMMS Team Building "Chopped for Educators"

Our building has a former home economics room that we know use for our life skills class, but it served as the perfect place to have our opening team building activity.

Challenge  Rubric

The teams had a mystery box challenge (see link above) and the winning team won a great goodie bag of school supplies for each team member. The staff loved the hats and aprons, and only had 30 minutes to complete their task. The assistant superintendent, secretary, and custodian judged the dishes created.

After the competition, we talked about all of the 21st Century (#Milan21, our Modern Teacher branding) skills this competition needed: Creativity & Innovation, Critical Thinking & Problem Solving, Communication & Collaboration, Flexibility & Adaptability, Initiative & Self Direction, Social & Cross Cultural Skills, Productivity & Accountability, and Leadership & Responsibility. In addition, we discussed how just this one exercise not only hits all of these skills, but all content areas could think of standards their students could learn and demonstrate with minor tweaks. 

I took a risk using up some of my building PD this way, but it paid off. I was positive and enthusiastic about the day and activities. The teachers had fun; team building happened; it was relevant; and it modeled what I have been preaching:

• Risk Taking is key for staff and students.
• Some of the best ideas are out of the box.
• Learning can happen in many ways.
• Failing is necessary for growth.
• Learning should be interactive and fun.
• Transforming practices are key to being more student-centered. 

I am totally behind the change that needs to take place for our students. We have to support and guide our teachers on all levels of readiness. The #IMMOOC network is going to help and support me to better do just that! How about you?

Next Gen Teaching: A Quick Guide to the New School Year

Both the classroom and the instruction need to change to better engage and challenge our youth.

1) Take Risks: Model and demonstrate learning from failure, taking risks, and discovering the end verses starting with the end in mind. Check out Diana Laufenberg's "How to Learn? From Mistakes" Ted Talk where she explores experiential learning, student voice, and embracing failure. Read Dweck's Mindset book to understand a shift in mindset. We must be open to extending the learning beyond the classroom walls. We must teach our students to embrace challenges and to learn from failure. Start by modeling it.

2) Facilitate: Be more than the sage on the stage. Become a director of learning. Shift your practices to student-centered approaches. Check out this chart comparing teacher versus learner-centered practices. Largely based on Huba and Freed (2000), the following descriptors factored into the student-centered instructional practices variable in my dissertation study (Spickard, 2015):

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

3) Create a Collaboratory: Shifting your classroom design is key to fostering the 4Cs: Creativity, Collaboration, Communication, and Critical Thinking. Check out this slide share for some ideas. A coffee shop/living room feel is a better alternative to the traditional rows. Traditional spaces will only lend itself to traditional practices. Here are some creative DYI projects for redesigning on a budget.

4) Ignite Passion: Students can only be as passionate and excited about teaching and learning as their teacher. Check out Christopher Emdin's Ted Talk on "Teach Teachers How to Create Magic." Student choice will help bring out the passion and "spark magic."

It's time. Now is the future. There is no more waiting. We need to take risks, facilitate learning, build a collaborative environment, and create passion.

New Beginnings: Capitalizing on a Fresh Start

Here we all are starting a new school year. For most, this is an anxious time even for educators. We need to work together to help make this anxious time an exciting and rewarding time for students.

1) The key is to build positive relationships. Greet students. Get to know their interests and who they are.

2) Create a warm and safe environment. Spend a couple of weeks building a safe social domain which encourages students to take risks.

3) Establish routines. Spend some time not only explaining routines and expectations but also teaching and modeling what they look like.

4) Each day is a fresh start. If students do act up/out, focus on the cause of the behavior and not the behavior. Help students reset and learn from mistakes.

5) Teach that failure is on the journey to success. Help students learn that failure is OK.

6) Praise the process and work ethic; not if the answer is right or wrong.

7) Model meta cognition and how you work through both decision making and problem solving.

8) Develop students' 21st Century Skills: Collaboration, Communication, Critical Thinking, and Creativity.

Lastly but most importantly, two of the most influential things we can do as educators:

9) Make each and every child feel special.

10) Smile and be contagious with positivity.

Have a great year and #LeadPositive!

21st Century Skills: Positive Direction for Students

MCS teachers are on year 3 with student 1:1 iPads and are becoming strong experts in teaching and developing the 21st Century skills. Traditional teaching is not preparing our students for their best options in this journey of life. With students walking around with computers in their hands, having access to just about any and all information, memorization of facts is an-outdated, unneeded practice. Knowing what to do with information, how to communicate it, how to work with others and problem-solve, and doing it all with creativity is what students need the most.

Road blocks, however, exist. People become confused or worried when change occurs especially when it is not the way it has always been done or is not an experience that matches their own. Teachers are trying to make shifts in practice that is based on better practice, but it someones is not always greeted with acceptance. I have witnessed this with both CCSS and standards-based grading.

The CCSS is about a shift in practice; it is about a common set of standards for students. I am not so sure why so much political controversy should exist over having set knowledge expectations for our students to learn. That could be an entirely different blog post. However, the notion behind the instructional practice of the standards is to encourage students to think for themselves and dig to a deeper understanding of information and analysis.

Standards-based grading is measuring student proficiency on a set of objectives. This method is extremely informative, individualized, and fits the shifts needed to teach 21st Century skills, but it too is not widely accepted because parents pressure educators to give letter grades--they way our learning was measured and the way we were compared.

Traditional practices are no longer preparing our children. What was good enough for us, is no longer good enough for our children. We need to evolve.

My favorite understanding of the student-centered verses teacher-centered approach stems from the paradigm descriptors by Huba and Freed (2000). While their research was based at the post-secondary level, these descriptors and student-centered practice is becoming widely used in both elementary and secondary classrooms. These practices fit the instructional shifts of the CCSS and the individualized and personalized instruction that more teachers are delivering to their students. In my dissertation, student-centered instructional practice (SCIP) is defined using Huba and Freed (2000) descriptors which were factored together in a quantitative study. SCIP involves 1)  giving students continuous feedback; 2) training and treating students as sophisticated learners; 3) making learning interpersonal; 4) using teacher-to-student and student-to-student coaching; 5) having students understand, produce, and identify quality work; 6) having students being able to apply what they have learned; 7) continuously include teaching and assessing; and 8) applying both general and subject skills. SCIP differs greater from the traditional approach of where the teacher is the giver of the information and the students passively obtain it.

Stakeholders, however, sometimes see SCIP, where the teacher is the facilitator of information, as the teacher being "lazy" or not doing his or her job. As one can see from the descriptors, this instructional practice is quite intensive to plan, implement, and assess. It is this method which fosters the 4Cs.

Here you can find the National Education Association's (NEA) Guide to the 4Cs which highlights the importance of teaching them, resources, and definitions.

Our educators are working harder than they have ever done before. They are preparing our children for jobs that we have no idea of their existence yet. Our educators are making learning more engaging, interactive, personalized, self-driven WHILE being evaluated, judged, dragged through social media for taking risks to prepare our children for the new world ahead of them, ahead of all of us.

21st Century skills are the new foundation--the new 3Rs--to make our students successful. Teaching, fostering, and facilitating communication skills, collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking are all a solid foundation for this journey, and MCS educators and students are paving the way. This is a positive direction for our students. Be a part of the journey.