Sharing, Risk Taking, and Creativity

[Cross-posted on the PLP blog]

One of the fascinating things about being a “Community Leader” in a PLP cohort is the opportunity to observe the great discussions going on and ideas being generated in schools around the world, and watch as learning communities develop both in individual schools and virtually in the cohort. Recently in the ADVIS PLP cohort, Dennis wrote in a post titled Sharing, Risk Taking, and Creativity:

At our faculty meeting today I was center stage discussing teaching and learning in the 21st century. My first announcement was the fact that we were getting rid of the two computer labs in the building. We would however, be adding two Innovation Studios. Of course some people laughed, others gave me the deer caught in the headlights look, and some embraced the idea and felt inspired.

. . . However, my main point was this: we need to shift the mindset of how we use the resource (the computer lab). It is no longer a place where we just go to sit down as a whole class and do the same activities.

. . . The second announcement I had was the addition of a piece of butcher block paper on the bulletin board in the faculty room. The question on the paper "what is a learning community?" I asked everyone to write their thoughts about what a learning community is and the characteristics of a learning community.

Not long after Robin replied:

I love the studio-based learning model! One of the things I like most about Dennis's approach is the de-emphasis of the technology piece. As independent school teachers our faculties have a good deal of control over their curriculum and what happens in their classrooms and often take risks in terms of new projects or methods. Unfortunately, for many teachers, when they hear the word technology they duck and cover. This re-frames the initiative so that technology is just one piece of a much larger picture.

As far as the question on the butcher block paper...I am not surprised that there was not a rush to add input. It has been my experience that a good chunk of the professional development that our teachers participate in is about "doing", not "thinking". Many teachers are not often involved in pedagogical discussions. Although I understand the value of "make and take" PD we have to encourage more "philosophical and visionary" sessions as well. This can be a hard sell for some (think how hard it has been for some of us to go so slowly with this experience) but I think it is imperative if we are truly going to promote the shifts we are working towards.

Dennis then replied back:

I guess I'm just different because I'm not afraid of being wrong, that is the only way I will ever learn anything. Through the Innovation Studio I'm hoping that people will be willing to take chances and risks and say "okay this project was a flop....however I learned along with the students what not to do and what to try next time."

Do you find the fear of being "wrong" is an issue at your school when it comes to the faculty?

Robin responded:

I just took a minute away to touch base with a colleague (one who does see the big picture) and she confirmed my thoughts. We have a very supportive faculty here so most people feel comfortable venturing an opinion. However, many teachers, here at least, are so consumed with the day to day business of their classroom that they do not often think about or discuss larger pedagogical ideas. This does not make them bad teachers - they are all gifted educators - it is just not a habit they have developed. I think it is up to us to start the conversations.

Dennis’s and Robin’s schools are physically about 5 minutes apart, but without PLP they most likely would never have had this exchange.

Later Russell commented:

Of course the great irony here is that we want our students to be risk-takers and to embrace learning from mistakes...and yet our assessments typically don't reward taking risks, but rather punish risk-taking by holding up a single right answer. It is critical that we as adults learn to take risks and be wrong, so that we can model this for our kids.

Helping students and adults develop what Carol Dweck calls a "growth mindset" is key here. If you're not familiar with Dweck's work, it's terrific:

Link 1
Link 2

Not only does Russell continue and expand on the conversation, but he links to resources that other PLP participants can investigate and take advantage of.

John then contributes to the conversation, and extends it by asking another question:

Great idea - I really like the shift away from rows and rows of computers. A learning/collaboration studio, where teachers and students have access to a variety of tools and resources. What if every class room was set up like this?

Dru then comments:

Awww, if every classroom were designed like this, it would be heaven for our students, messy for the teachers, and so completely different from what we see right now in a traditional independent school. BUT, it is what we are seeing on college campuses and at workplaces across the country and around the world, so we MUST start to make these changes.

There were many other comments as well, but finally Dennis came back in with an update:

I just thought I would give an update. I checked the chart paper and here is what it said:

"What is a learning community?"

* Works together to share and build an enriching environment.
* A safe place to try, fail, and try again. A learning community takes risks together.
* An environment that fosters innovation and creativity.
* A way to discuss "Big Ideas."
* An atmosphere of respect where people are comfortable sharing their ideas.
* A place where we can learn from our own and each others’ mistakes and feel comfortable doing so.
* A place where everyone is interested in learning.
* A place to share.
* Exchanging ideas.
* Collaboration cross-curricular/division

Then I posted another piece of paper which asked "what are the essential qualities of a learning community?"

Responses:
* Time
* Access
* Be willing to share ideas.
* To know each other better as people so we feel more comfortable sharing and learning from our mistakes.
* Being okay with our mistakes.
* No one is perfect. Certainly not in this profession.

Dennis found support in the PLP cohort as he tried to foster some change in his school, and the cohort was able to learn from his experience and possibly incorporate that into their own schools. This is a great example of the support a virtual community like PLP can provide.

What are some ways you've seen a virtual community (PLP or otherwise) provide support for teaching and learning?

Let’s Get Rid of Acceptable Use Policies

Note: I ran across this idea sometime in the last two weeks somewhere in my PLN. Unfortunately, I can’t remember where. It might’ve been on Twitter, or in the ADVIS PLP, or on a blog somewhere, but I can’t recall nor can I find a link. So, if someone knows where I stumbled across this, please leave a comment and I’ll update the post.

Most school districts have Acceptable Use Policies (AUP’s), usually for both students and staff. These policies are often a laundry list of things that you can’t do with technology and on the Internet. (So are they really UUP’s – Unacceptable Use Policies?) Instead of having AUP’s, or even UUP’s, I propose we have RUP’s – Responsible Use Policies.

Instead of making a list of all the things you can’t do with technology and on the Internet, what if we made a list of all the things that not only can you do, but you should do? What if students and staff had to sign an agreement that stated these are all the ways that a responsible student or staff member should be using technology and the Internet if they are to be a functional, literate, contributing member of society?

Do you think that might change the conversations we have with students? And with all of our stakeholders?

Take a Learning Posture

[Cross-posted on the PLP blog]

One of the interesting things about the PLP model is observing how the community builds itself. This is definitely not a linear process, and one of the things I have to constantly remind myself as a “Community Leader” is that different teams, and even different participants within those teams, will move forward at different (sometimes vastly different) rates. Ray Hawthorne, an Instructional Coach in my building, often says we need to “go slow to go fast,” and I think that’s a key part of the PLP Cohort model.

From my experience with staff development at my own school, as well as my experience this fall with PLP, I’ve become more and more convinced that reflection is the key to building community and moving forward as educators. It’s also something that few schools seem to implement well; so many educators have trouble when asked to reflect on their own learning. As groups of educators devote time to thinking about teaching and learning in the 21st century, and as they have time to thoughtfully reflect on their own teaching and learning, they seem to reach a tipping point where ideas coalesce and folks are ready to move forward.

At least one of our teams in the ADVIS PLP Cohort seems to have reached that tipping point. The team from The Haverford School has recently posted some interesting and powerful reflections, both inside the private Ning and on the public wiki. Team Leader Lisa Snyder, who’s the Head of Information Services for The Haverford School, recently commented on a discussion in the Ning:

Our meetings have not had much structure until recently. At first, when we met, we simply talked about what we were learning, reading, and how it all relates to our situation here. . . I thought that we should be creating something for our administration, our colleagues, and our board to communicate our experiences in PLP and to give them an idea of what we're up to. We used our team space on the Wiki and each of us wrote a small narrative of what we're learning.

The reflective process of creating and sharing what they were doing in PLP with others seems to have crystallized each team member’s thinking. I think they can say it better than I can. (In all cases, emphasis is added by me.)

Dennis Arms talks about how PLP gets the discussion going:

The change in how our students are learning has been exponential and it’s going to take more than just me to shift teaching and learning. I think the PLP program is a great conversation starter.

Nick Romero comments on how he’s been pushed to reexamine everything he’s doing, and how the PLP community helps challenge and support him:

Joining PLP has pushed me to re-examine what I am doing in my class and how to improve it. As a teacher I constantly ask myself: how can I better engage my students and enrich their experience? How can I make their learning more meaningful? PLP is helping me find answers to those questions. Meeting (in person and virtually) teachers from other schools and learning about their successes, questions and struggles in implementing 21st Century Skills in their classrooms has been invaluable. Ever since the first meeting, my mind has been spinning. I feel there is so much to learn about what these skills are and how to effectively teach them to my students. I have a steep learning curve, but I am excited to take this on.

Dru Ciotti has come to realize what I stated above, that folks are going to move at different paces and that we have to be okay with that:

This PLP experience has, so far, been very rewarding in terms of giving me EVEN MORE to think about in terms of how to encourage the upper school faculty to view technology not as an add-on but as an integral part of their teaching and of our students' learning. I envision classroom teachers using tools like wikis, Ning, or Elluminate to eliminate the boundaries created by their classroom walls and to really empower our students with 21st century skills. Some are willing to jump on this quickly moving train, and others are still looking for parking at the station. The good conversations I've had with our group so far have opened up for me the possibility that not everyone is willing to run for the train, and I have to be okay with that. I need to focus on the ones that want to go on the journey.

And Lisa herself reflects on what it feels like to be a learner, and how important it is to assume a “learning posture”:

Boy, they weren’t kidding when they said this would be powerful! From the very first, I’ve done nothing but learn. I would admit, though, that a lot of what I’ve learned I had not expected to . . .

What I’ve come to realize is that, through PLP, we are gaining exposure to the world that our kids already inhabit easily – and learning in that environment is not neat and tidy. I wrote my first ning post about ambiguity and how learning to live – and learn – in an ambiguous world is not easy. It requires openness to new experiences and letting-go of my tradition-based ideas of what schooling is. Learning is not linear, and while I’ve espoused that for years, it wasn’t until this experience of PLP that I was able to live the non-linear, sometimes frustrating, always interesting world of a 21st century learner . . .

I’ve also experienced the very powerful feeling that comes from having a Ning colleague read my posts, find something in there of use, and respond in a thoughtful, serious way to my thoughts. Authentic assessment! Wow, I always knew it was an important concept, but I didn’t know how it would feel to receive authentic feedback from people I respect and admire. It feels great!

So, the lessons I’ve learned from PLP have been important ones – and I’m sure that Will and Sheryl intended for me (and the rest of us) to have the opportunity to share these same kinds of experiences. For those who are wondering, “what’s next?” or “when are we actually going to do something?” I would have to argue that, if you really take a learning posture – give up your control and your need to feel industrious – you will find that you are learning. And you have been all along!

All of the PLP Cohorts have invited in "Expert Voices" to share some of the tools, and I think that will help those who need something a little more concrete to help them frame the big picture ideas. But, as Lisa says so elegantly, we as educators all need to take a “learning posture” if we are going to learn and grow alongside our students.

So, when’s the last time you reflected on your own learning?

A New Learning Opportunity

I’m really excited about a new learning opportunity I began this week. I’m helping as a “Community Leader” for the ADVIS Cohort of Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach and Will Richardson’s Powerful Learning Practice initiative.


The PLP cohort model has face-to-face, webinar (Elluminate), and online discussion (private Ning) components, and I’ll be helping mostly with the online discussion component. I’m still figuring out what my role is, but essentially I’m supposed to do two things: help with the technical side of things (wiki questions, Ning questions, etc.) and help contribute and extend the online conversations. In other words, it’s very similar to what I’ve been doing in my own building staff development these last few years. The biggest difference is I won’t be part of the face-to-face meetings and, of course, I haven’t met most of the people in the community face-to-face. (I had the opportunity of presenting to an ADVIS group - along with Anne Smith and Will Richardson - back in January, and a few of the folks in the cohort attended that, so I probably have met some in the cohort face-to-face.)

While I’m really excited to be part of this, I’m also really nervous. (And this is the reason for this and hopefully subsequent posts – to share the process and what I learn as I go along.) Folks who know me in physical space know that I’m not the most social person. I’m certainly not anti-social, but it takes me awhile to join in with a group of people that I don’t know well. So this will be interesting for me as I leave my comfort zone a little bit.

Even so, I’m still really excited about this opportunity and thankful to Sheryl, Will and the ADVISPLP Cohort for allowing me to participate. I look forward to learning along with the cohort – and hopefully sharing on this blog what I discover about this type of online professional development.