in.no.va.tion #IMMOOC Week 2

"Alone we are smart. Together we are brilliant." -Steven Anderson

I read this quote in the third chapter of The Innovator's Mindset. It was included in the section about the 8 Characteristics of the Innovator's Mindset. Networking has always been an important part of my teaching career.  Up until the time of online classes, my network was the group of professionals who were going through the library media sequence at UVM.  I happily leaned on and learned from this group for years.  

 The Innovator's Mindset has made me recognize the importance of PLNs. I am blogging and reading blogs.  I am using Twitter more frequently. I have found an amazing network of professionals on Twitter who I learn from and who inspire me to be a better teacher.  The simple acts of reading and writing have motivated me to learn more and share more.

In chapter 3 of The Innovator's Mindset, George Couros states, "Innovation flourishes when teachers collaborate to learn and practice new strategies.  Isolation is often the enemy of innovation."  My favorite coworkers are the ones who want to collaborate.  I always learn something from them and I hope they learn something from me. 

This year, I have collaborated with teachers inside my building using Google Classroom, Pixton and Storybird, to name a few.  Outside of my building, I have used Padlet and Google Hangout to meet new teachers and students.  Every time I collaborate with another person, I walk away feeling better about my learning and about my profession.

Curiosity and Lifelong Learning

I have always believed in lifelong learning.  During the last couple of years, though, I have seen the importance of sharing this philosophy with my students.  As a librarian and educational technologist, I have many opportunities to introduce new technologies to enhance and transform their learning.  If I waited to introduce these new technologies until I thought I was an 'expert' using them, I would NEVER share them.

I think my students appreciate my honesty when I introduce a new technology.  I will often share with them the basics and tell them I am learning with them.  Quite often, as we are learning, students are learning from each other and I am learning from them.  I will ask students if they are comfortable sharing their learning with the entire class.  Some students will happily go to the front of the classroom to speak, while others will share with only a few students.  Either way, we are all learning together!

I want my students to be curious forever.  I want them to know it is a strength to ask for help and learn from others.  I want them to have a growth mindset and try something new as often as possible.  I want my students to be inspired to learn everyday.

Image credit: http://immooc.org/blog-prompts/

Michael Fullan on Change

One of the preconceptions I had before reading this article was that Professional Learning Communities work well.  In my school district, the librarians are fortunate enough to meet once a month to talk about initiatives and changes we are hoping to make.  We even include Bright Spots at each meeting.  I feel like we need to be more action oriented.  It is wonderful to share information, but we fall short by not providing the opportunity to learn from one another.  I love hearing about all of my colleagues' Bright Spots, and many of them include technology, but if I don't know how to use or implement the use of a certain resource, having that information doesn't help initiate change. I appreciate Fullan's idea that, "collaborative cultures, ones that focus on building the capacity for continuous improvement, are meant to be a new way of working and learning."

There were a couple of points about change theory that have potential to have an impact on the change I am considering.  In his article, Fullan states, "strategies for reform must build in many opportunities for ‘learning in context’. In fact, creating cultures where learning in context is endemic is the point."  Learning while we are doing will make change happen.  I am still hoping to have my technology committee of 4-6 graders teach the classroom teachers how to use New Google Sites to encourage them to create a classroom website.  By providing time and support from students, I think the teachers will want to 'learn in context' and follow through with having an online presence.  They will also be learning by doing, themselves, which will be an important part of this process.

I also enjoyed Fullan's insight about reflective action.  He said, "Dewey (sic) offered the insight that it is not that we learn by doing but that we learn by thinking about what we are doing. It is the purposeful thinking part that counts, not the mere doing."  I want the teachers and the students in my building to have the ability to reflect on their learning.  This will allow them to learn how they learn and to identify the bright spots about their education.

Understanding Leadership

I used Pixton to show my thinking this week.  I have used this visual tool with my students for them to create comics to show their learning.  This is my first time using the 'Mind Map' tool.  Right now, I am thinking about ways to motivate people to make changes happen:

Danielson, C. (n.d.). The Many Faces of Leadership. Retrieved February 06, 2017, from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/sept07/vol65/num01/The-Many-Faces-of-Leadership.aspx

Horner, Melissa.  Leadership Theory: Past, Present and Future.  In Team Performance Management, vol 3, no. 4, pp. 270-287. (1997)

Martin, M. (2015, July 21). What Kind of Leader Are You? Traits, Skills and Styles. Retrieved February 06, 2017, from http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/2704-leadership.html

Who am I as a leader?

I am on the path to becoming a teacher leader in my school.  Right now, I am considered a technology leader and 'go to' person at my school.  I have presented new information, apps, databases and websites at our faculty meetings.  A perfect meeting with me as the leader is run with a targeted agenda with a specific start and end time.  I try to give people equal time to speak, ask questions and reflect on our discussion.  As a leader, I try to be punctual with responding to comments and questions on a daily basis.  This is not always possible, but is something of which I am cognizant.

Looking at the organization, I need to be more intentional about setting aside time to complete specific tasks.  I am currently responsible to updating the school website.  I am great at updating it, but the entire website needs a makeover!  I would love to use the new Google Sites to build a more modern site, but I need more time in my schedule to accomplish that.

I am not sure about my organizational structure.  I hope to learn about options during this course!

Who do I admire as a leader?

​When I think of a leader who I admire a couple of people come to mind, so I will focus on qualities they both possess.  One of the leaders is very punctual with start times and end times.  This leader is clear and concise when presenting information.  This person listens intently to speakers when they have questions or comments.  Another quality of a good leader is someone who allows time for people to gather their thoughts about a specific topic.  Being able to sit in silence while people think is a much needed skill.

One of the leaders I admire is extremely passionate about her profession.  She takes every opportunity to share information via social media, blog posts and conversations.  She motivates people to learn and share new information.  This person also empowers people to move forward with their own learning with confidence.  She gives compliments and shows appreciation to people who are deserving.

I hope to whittle down some of these positive attributes and realize I, too, can become an empowering leader.