The Educator's Innovative and Growth Mindset

I have been revisiting and thinking about Innovator’s Mindset by George Couros and The Growth Mindset by Carol Dweck.  In order for us to embrace innovation in our schools and classrooms, teachers must have the growth mindset and embrace being an innovator first.  Only then can we create schools that embody this mindset as a “culture”.

“Belief that abilities, intelligence, and talents are developed leading to the creation of new and better ideas.”  Carol Dweck

To develop a culture and “innovators” mindset, we must embody it ourselves.  To borrow George’s work and research on characteristics and themes in the area of innovation, listed below are the 8 Characteristics of an Innovator’s Mindset and why they are important for us as educators:

1.    Empathetic – To create new and better ways of doing things, we need to first understand who we are creating them for.  As educators, we should start with the question: “What is best for this particular child?”  For us to create something better for our students, we have to understand their experiences.  This way we can understand what works and what does not work from the perspective of a learner, not a teacher.  We need to put ourselves in our student’s shoes before we can create better opportunities for them in our classrooms.

2.    Problem Finders – All innovation starts from a question, a problem, or frustration - not an answer.  Many capstone projects created by students in their classrooms start with first finding, and then solving problems both locally and globally.  How often do we as educators immerse ourselves in a similar process?  If want to be innovative, we need to look at questions first.  The questions could be as simple as, “What features does Gmail offer me?” Then, we need to go find the answers or create a solution.

3.    Risk-Takers – Many would agree that “we have always done it this way”, “it’s tradition” or “best-practice” can be the enemy of innovation.  To be truly innovative, you sometimes have to go off the beaten path.  For some students, the “tried-and-true” methods will still work, but others, you will need to try something different.  If students are totally checking out of school, is “best practice”, “tradition” or “status quo” truly “best”, or just most comfortable for the teacher?

4.    Networked – Innovation does not happen in isolation, as it is often ideas that are being shared amongst a group that lead to new and better ideas being developed.  The best educators have always created networks to learn from others and create new and powerful ideas.  Now through the use of social media, we have the opportunity to take networks to a whole different level.  We can create “idea banks” globally.  If isolation is the enemy of innovation, then networks are crucial if we are going to develop the “Innovator’s Mindset”.

5.    Observant – Individuals that are “innovative” are constantly looking around their world to create connections or make an idea their own.  In education, we often look to solutions to come from “educational institutions”, but when organizations around the world share their practices and ideas, we have to tap into their diverse expertise and learn from them as well.  Watch what others are doing.  Use their new ideas as a catalyst to inspire your own!

6.    Creators – Many people have great ideas, yet they never come to fruition.  Innovation is a combination of ideas and hard work.  What you create as a result of what you have learned is imperative in this process of an innovator.

7.    Resilient – Things do not always work on the first try you them.  An innovator learns from failure and makes adjustments to their plan to lead to success.  This is something great teachers model daily in their teaching, they modify and adjust as needed while they turn good ideas into great ones.

8.    Reflective – What worked for you and your students? What didn’t?  What could we do better next time?  What would we do differently?  It is important that we sit down and reflect on our learning as students, teachers, leaders, and innovation.  In a time of pacing guides and preparing for the test we often over look this step, yet reflection is probably the most important part of education as the connections we make on our own is where the deepest learning happens.

As teachers and leaders, it is critical that we create a culture where the 8 characteristics are not only accepted but celebrated and encouraged.  Being “innovative” should no longer be a buzzword, it should be an expectation that we embody the “Innovator’s Mindset” at all levels to meet the learning needs of each student that passes through our doors, and help them toward a successful future in a global society.

Beyond #BookSnaps: Using Social Media and Creation Applications to Show Learning

I have loved the idea of #Booksnaps, a concept created by Tara Martin.

Here is why I love them!

Essentially, Booksnaps take a high-yield instructional strategy, close reading, to a fun and creative level. Booksnaps can be used for a variety of texts (narrative, informational, graphic) for any subject area in any grade.

Creating #BookSnaps is literacy-rich activity.  Digital Literacies involve knowing how a tool works and when it is appropriate to use the tool in the correct context. It is also an excellent assessment tool in that it allows students to demonstrate their thinking about what they are reading, learning and experiencing.  BookSnaps makes that thinking visible to the teacher and others and provides students practice with alternative uses of social media or creation applications (Instagram, SnapChat, Google Draw, and PicCollage).

I have been working with teachers and students at South Middle School to create "Snaps" of understanding in all content areas.  Check out some of the amazing creations that students have shared with me.  Also, check out our book recommendations at #GFPSYAReads.

These are so much fun to create and it makes student learning visible to those that they share them with.  So, glad we got "snappy" with our learning and Google Draw!  Let me know if you want to have your students "snap" too!

Kindness, Empathy and Good Student Relationships

Take a moment to think about people that are important to you, and how much you value their love, appreciation and kind words.  Now think of your students.  They value being cared for, recognized and appreciated as much as we do. When students feel that you value and care for them as individuals, they are more willing to comply with your wishes.

Think about it for just a minute. Aren't you more apt to go out of your way to please a supervisor who you feel values you as an individual, shows empathy, and treats you with kindness and respect, rather than a supervisor who ignores your hard work and efforts?  Or, a boss that doesn’t even know you as a person?

We spent an entire day last Friday learning about student behavior issues.  The whole time I thought about how vital the connections we make with our students is.  It makes sense that developing positive teacher-student relations is one of the most effective steps you can take to establish a positive climate in the classroom. It's critical to remember that when you take time to get to know and value your students as individuals, they tend to appreciate and like you. When they appreciate and like you, they are more willing to want to please you. This is why it is so important to remember that, when it comes to student behavior, it's far more often the relationship students have with you than it is the rules themselves that encourages students to follow those rules.

Marzano (2003) states that students will resist rules and procedures along with the consequent disciplinary actions if the foundation of a good relationship is lacking.

Demonstrating caring is one of the most powerful ways to build positive relationships with your.  When your actions and words communicate that you sincerely care for your students, they are more likely to want to perform well for you and enjoy coming to school. Caring also fosters a preventive approach to discipline, as students who feel cared for are more likely to want to please you by complying with your wishes and policies. It is a tragedy when a student mistakenly believes that his teacher does not care for or like him. In most cases, teachers do care but fail to do the things that directly communicate this valuable message.

The best ways to show you care about your students:

Show an interest in your students' personal lives

Greet the students by the front door as they enter the classroom

Watch for and touch base with students who display strong emotion

Sincerely listen to students (or, make an appointment to listen to them carefully when you have less demands on your time)

Empathize with students

Remember, these strategies work well for adults too.  Having caring and effective relationships with colleagues can enhance your work place satisfaction, making work more enjoyable and fun. 

Learning, Sun, New Friends, and Fun!

In July, I attended the DEN Summer Institute (DENSI) 2017.  DENSI is a unique weeklong residential-style event, focused on professional learning, leadership, and networking hosted this year on the campus of the University of San Diego, California.  I would like to take a few minutes to share my experiences.

I was honored when I was notified that I had been selected as an attendee, after submitting my written and video application.  Then, I was happily surprised to be chosen as a session presenter on “Student Lead Classrooms and Learning”, and asked to facilitate a session on “Genius Hour” as a first year participant.

I spent six very full days with over 100 educators from across the United States, Canada, China, United Kingdom, Egypt, Haiti, United Arab Emirates, and Kuwait.  I left connected to these passionate educators, inspired by experts, and equipped with new ideas to transform teaching and learning.  Every day we shared with each other ideas for using technology to energize our own teaching.  We spent time with science experts in the field studying ocean biology, learned from keynote speakers, discussed STEM, and worked collaboratively with the Discovery Education team.

I left San Diego inspired and motivated with a new professional learning network and life-long friendships, as well as fond memories of genuine laugher, truly immersive experiences, and good fun with amazing people.  

I have invested much to my professional growth and learning over my career, and am happy to say that travel expenses incurred for DENSI were an extremely valuable investment in my growth and learning.  I am confident that what I learned will assist me in in my role as a curriculum technology partner as I support student and staff learning.

My story of making connections, building relationships and learning from others does not end with my DENSI experience.  It continues by participating in Twitter chats (#gfedchat on Mondays), book studies, and working with student and teachers every day in Grand Forks.  I am excited about the opportunities for growth, learning and teaching partnerships this year.

Together, we can do amazing things!

The Summer Sun and a Good Book

It’s here, the summer sun at the end of another very full school year of teaching and learning!  Now, as you push through the last stack of paperwork, take care of end of the year tasks and check items off your to do list, grab the list of books you been meaning to read when you have more time and sprint with your full book bag to the end of the 2016 – 2017 tunnel!

My reading diet has been pretty light the past two weeks.  The demands of family, work, concerts, graduations, and other priorities (training for races, binge watching Netflix) will take me away from my stack of reading materials for periods of time.  The past two summers, I have taken advantage of the slower pace and the break from full time work to catch up on my reading, participate in book studies, read great books recommended by Pernille Ripp and Donalyn Miller, and set my own book a day reading goals.

Donalyn Miller @donalynbooks started the #bookadaychallenge in 2009 because she realized that she and her family read less during the last six weeks of the school year than any other time. Announcing the first annual Book-a-Day Challenge was a public declaration of Donalyn’s commitment to read one a book a day for every day of summer break. She wanted to kick start her reading life and push myself to read more than I ever had.

The Book-a-Day challeng has grown and changed over the years.   Particpants began using the hashtag #bookaday to connect and share books on Twitter. The Nerdy Book Club community grew from the conversations #bookaday participants were having online every day. The #bookaday has grown into a community that shares books and celebrates reading all year.

The #bookaday guidelines are simple:

You set your own start date and end date.

Read one book per day for each day of summer vacation. This is an average, so if you read three books in one day and none the next two, it still counts.

Any book qualifies including picture books, nonfiction, professional books, audio books, graphic novels, poetry anthologies, or fiction—children’s, youth, or adult titles.

Keep a list of the books you read and share them often via a social networking site like goodreads or Twitter (#bookaday), a blog, or Facebook page.

You do not have to post reviews, but you can if you wish. Titles will do.

If you want to join a book club, consider joining Penny Kittle’s @pennykittle: The Book Love Foundation SummerBook Club '17: Enjoy a summer of Book Love. Also, keep an eye out for possible book studies with your colleagues!

Maybe, take time to volunteer and read to children or bring your own child to the GFPS Little Red Reading Bus @GFRedReadingBus this summer!  Check out their twitter page for more information and schedule. 

Need book ideas?

Check out the Nerdy Book Club 

Pernille Ripp @pernilleripp has great book suggestions.  You can follow her blog, click here for her lastest post. I really enjoyed Pernille’s post on free verse texts, and have enjoyed many of the titles she recommends. 

Consider picking up a book everyday this summer. Read to your children, read for you students, join a book club or a book study, and read for yourself !  Finally, enjoy a wonderful summer!

Parent Communication

I have been disappointed at the volume of negative press teachers and schools have been getting this year.  And, most recently, our district has been reflected negatively in the media as well.  There seems to be a lot demanded of our teachers and schools from our community and parents to “be all we can” for kids.

Now, more than ever, it is vital we tell our story and share our successes.  Our parents need to know us as teachers and humans that care about their children.  We need to communicate that the whole child is important, not just the child’s ability to complete school work.  Finally, they need to know what we do on a daily basis for their children’s learning and emotional wellness.  We all know how students respond when they are asked what they did at school; and we all know that you did far more than “nothing”. 

How do we do that?

Provide a letter of introduction to your students and families.  This is simplest first step, but it is often overlooked. Before school starts, send a letter to your students families introducing yourself and welcoming them to your class.  Or, simply share a quick video introduction.  Share your teaching experience, your expectations of students and parents, and a little about your personal life too, (your family, hobbies, etc).

Attend Open Houses, Parent-Teacher Conferences, and events in building that support parent-teacher relationships.  Don’t underestimate the power of a telephone call or telephone conference, if a face-to-face meeting isn’t possible. Notes or a call home, make sure you sandwich the not so good news with something positive both before and after. And even better yet, is to get into the habit of sending positive notes home. If you are in the practice of communicating with parents through “just because” positive notes, then if you have to share the negative news the parents might be more receptive to hearing it.

Start a classroom newsletter.  Newsletters have always been a great form of communication and nothing has changed there. What may have changed is the avenue through which you share your newsletter. These are a great way to remind parents of upcoming events and include pictures of children at school.  They can be emailed, posted to the website, or shared to a social media site.

Class or School Websites are often the first places we head for information. Having basic information available online is a great way to communicate with parents while also marketing yourself and your school to prospective parents.

Try sending Thank You Notes to parents for the opportunity to learn and grow with their children. Even for those challenging students (and sometimes especially for those challenging students), a note of thanks goes a long way in establishing good rapport with parents and showing them how much you value their child.

Apps that push out messages to parents, such as Remind, are awesome tools as well.  These go directly to a mobile device, and keep your personal telephone number safely private.  I have had colleagues give out their personal telephone number to parents and students, and then later regret this decision as they were getting texted at all hours of the night for sometimes very inappropriate reasons.  Here is a great article listing some good app choices:  12 Apps for Smarter Teacher-Parent Communication.

Finally, my favorite mode of communication with parents is Social Media. While you may occasionally find a family without a computer or email address, this is definitely the exception rather than the norm. In this information age, you have to meet parents where they are. Take advantage of the technology and communicate with parents via Twitter, Facebook and blogs.  Students can help you manage classroom accounts and with guidance post items that tell your classroom story.

I’ll leave you with a thought:  Sharing our good news with the community is vital.  Doing all this may seem daunting!  Pick and choose what works for you and your classroom.  Opening lines of positive communication and sharing the great things happening in your classroom is the heart of effective parent communication.

It will ultimately make your job easier and parents will appreciate it too!

Time to Breakout (EDU)!

Breakout EDU has developed a way to use play, excitement, collaboration, communication, critical thinking and creativity in the classroom environment with breakout box kits or digital breakout games.  Students solve clues and Breakout (or unlock clues or boxes) for the “win”. I have used kits can be used to create puzzles and mysteries for students to discover curriculum or review content.

Breakout EDU can be used to introduce a new lesson or concept, to reinforce and strengthen learning, or at the end of a unit to bring closure to a lesson and reinforce skills and concepts learned, all in a fun way.

Breakout EDU’s kits provide the basic materials necessary to present puzzles for students to decipher, each clue leading to another, and ultimately to the locked the puzzle or mystery. There are many reasons to try Breakout EDU:

Last year, I used a sandbox game with my students to discover the Lost Colony of Roanoke found on the website: http://www.breakoutedu.com/.  I set the timer and turned them loose.

The students were immediately curious and their problem-solving skills soon kicked in. They worked independently and together to solve clues. They made mistakes, backtracked, and tried again, moving from one clue to the next. As the game evolved, the excitement grew and even initially reluctant students gained confidence and began taking active roles in the quest for solutions. The kids were questioning, thinking and focusing, solving the puzzle and “breaking out”—all the time trying to beat the clock!  Excitedly they all asked, “When can we do it again?”

Well, I was just as hooked as they are!  I set off to write my first game: Escape from Mars as a review of science and math content.  From that moment on, I have been looking for lessons and puzzles on the Breakout EDU site and writing my own.

I have written a 7th graded math game incorporating variables and the awesome new lock I found on Amazon.  It allows for a letter variable and two-digit answer. I have become a frequent browser for new locks on Amazon Prime!

I have written a school wide Polar Express game, with 6 versions geared to each grade level from kindergarten to 5th grade. And, most recently, I created a game for 5th grade teachers introducing a Social Studies and literacy unit for Colonial Williamsburg and Fever 1793.

I have also spent some time exploring Digital Breakout games found at http://www.breakoutedu.com/digital/. No boxes or locks needed. Students login to the game using their Chromebooks, and you are off to solve a puzzle or mystery!

Frankly I am hooked on this awesome learning tool and the opportunities to provide for students and teachers.

 Consider “Breaking Out” of the routine and trying a Breakout Edu game in your classroom today