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Leveraging Digital Learning

Jan30

Lots of Acceleration and Little Steering…yet – How do we Leverage Digital learning during and post Pandemic?

The introduction of new technologies has always brought with it a myriad of responses from users. For example, some are willing to wait in line for countless hours to be the first to own the latest and greatest cell phone, others cannot imagine being without a landline. Some find merit in both. Regardless of where each of us was a few months ago, technology has become an essential tool to address an urgent need as a result of the pandemic. The recent move to learn remotely has administrators, educators and students propelled into accelerated learning on the technology learning continuum.

When remote learning began, the key focus for many was on learning the basics of site navigate and content upload to the virtual learning environment. As familiarity with digital tools have increased at a rapid rate and basic skills are developing with greater automaticity many are using technology as an effective tool to be leveraged to enhance and transform teaching and learning.

Now that school systems have been accelerated into a digital world teaching and learning will forever be transformed to involve technology. The status quo will no longer suffice for many educators and students. Even so, anyone who has driven a vehicle knows that acceleration without steering can have dire consequences. School and system leaders need to consider how to effectively leverage new digital capabilities to support deeper pedagogy. When face to face learning resumes and the urgency of the pandemic is not a significant driver in the use of technology it will be imperative for us to consider how to keep the momentum going for effectively using technology in new and innovative ways in education.

We need to consider:

  • What is your vision for digital in the next year?
  • What conditions need to be in place to continue to leverage technology in schools to enhance learning?
  • What are the ways that technology can be used for transformative learning and the creation of new learning opportunities that were previously inconceivable?
  • What practices will need to discontinue?
  • What is your first move?

We are currently in a state of flux in education with momentum to make significant strides in the use of digital technologies to support student achievement. Putting on the brakes when we return to a more familiar classroom experience should not be our next move. Now is the time for steering. Leaders have opportunity to choose the path rather than having the path chosen for us.

A Superintendent in another Board near us recently posted this Dave Hollis meme on her Twitter feed and it succinctly summarizes exactly what we need to continue to consider together as we move forward.

Reflecting and Celebrating

Nov14
Flickr Images

Classroom Distancing – Flickr Images

In the recent weeks school boards have reshaped what school looks like for students, staff and community during the pandemic. Enough time has passed that we are likely able to now spend some energy reflecting on all the change that has happened is such a short time. Sometimes when reflecting, we can be hard on ourselves. There can be risk of focusing only on what we might have missed or what we think did not go as planned. If we consider that the structures which we have come to define as modern, formalized education have taken 150 years to shape this should put the progress that has been made in just a few short months into perspective.

Educators and school board teams have accomplished SO much and created new roadmaps. We would not expect a family member who just received their beginner’s license to navigate a road trip across Canada in their first week behind the wheel, nor should we expect perfection in the structures and processes we have created with school start up. Although it is certainly true that our biggest growth often comes from our greatest challenges, we are challenged to also think about where we have already come in such a short time. Take some time to celebrate your progress.

I’m going to close this blog the same way I closed my last one, mainly because I feel the same way today. I will be sharing more about my learning journey in future posts and I invite you to have a conversation with me here on my blog or at my Twitter account – @LisaMunro11  If you have a personal blog or even a class blog please let me know. I would love to follow you and read about your ideas and adventures.  I want you to know that in-spite of our present situation with so many changes, re-organizing, in-class learning and at home learning, we are on this journey together. A child near my home said it best … to us you are a big deal.

Lisa …..

 

New Journeys

Nov7

I have now been in my new role as a Superintendent of Education here in Grand Erie for just over two months. Many people have asked me about the transition, and I can truly say it has been wonderful.
Educators, support staff, system staff and trustees have been incredibly welcoming. Individuals have taken time to share advice, provide important organizational context, or reached out simply
to introduce themselves and offer support. I am very excited about the work ahead and hope the contributions I will make will support students, staff, families and the organization.
Of course, there is still much for me to learn. This is one of the true gifts of working in a learning organization. Learning is always all around us. It is not unlike when I started each September as a classroom teacher, a literacy coach, an
administrator or a learning supervisor. My first goals were always to genuinely understand the students and the staff  I would be supporting and to learn about their strengths as individuals and then the organization, of which we were a part. As a Superintendent now, really nothing has changed in that mandate for me.  I still want to find out what people define as important, what they are challenged by and how I can support their growth and help them overcome any obstacles that might be in their way.

Making a transition also comes with some challenges. Starting something new means leaving behind the comfort of what is known, as well as the experiences and connections established with the students and staff with whom I had previously worked. A positive part of this new transition is the profound pride I feel, when reflecting on the relationships that were formed and the goals that were accomplished in the past. I have been afforded so many opportunities in my career thus far and I credit the many people who have helped shape who I am today as a learner, as a leader and yes, even as a person. A special thank you to you all.

Another positive aspect of moving into this new role of superintendent is that I know I will carry forward what I have learned from each past interaction and individual, using these insights to have a positive impact on student achievement and well being. Having different experiences in my educational journey has confirmed for me, over and over again, that there are many facets of the education system to learn about, often in ways that I had not anticipated. And that is why learning together as a team is vital.

I will admit it was easier for me to blog as a principal when parents were my main audience. I have hesitated to blog too much in this system role because, misguided or not, I sometimes feel people expect me to be the expert and that is not a great feeling.  If you have ever blogged you know there is a certain vulnerability in putting your ideas into a public space; a vulnerability and a commitment.  Once you get to know me you will know “expert” is not a word I would ever use to define myself, but I do know I am someone who will always listen, always consider the different sides to an issue and then even consult others before final decisions are made.

So, let’s start the conversation. In my experience working at the system level, I find that staff  (whether Board staff, school staff or the various support staff) truly want to make decisions relevant to students, educators, schools and families. For example, the recent rolling out of the Parent Portal across the district provides a single digital access point for families and ensures the safety and privacy of student information. That decision was a team decision and it took many different personnel to make it happen. #workingtogether

I look forward to sharing more about my learning journey in future posts and I invite you to have a conversation with me here on my blog or at my Twitter account @LisaMunro11  If you have a personal blog or even a class blog please let me know. I would love to follow you and read about your ideas and adventures.  I truly hope you know we are on this journey together.

Lisa ……

The Why of Urgent vs Important (via Seth Godin)

Mar19

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I recently read a blog entitled, “The Why of Urgent vs Important” by Seth Godin http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2017/02/the-why-of-urgent-vs-important.html This particular blog challenged me to think deeply about why I sometimes find myself living in the world of urgent over important and how I can better maintain a balance between the two. Seth shared that dealing with urgent issues makes us feel competent.  For me, this competence occurs through the immediate reward to both myself and others. Firstly, I feel competent because the benefits of the work are instantly visible – a task is done prior to a deadline; the house is clean in case somebody stops by (yes, for me this is urgent).  Secondly, in a world where relationships are foundational, responding to the urgent needs of others can serve as an immediate deposit in the relationship bank account – a colleague imminently needs a report; my son needs $20 to fill up the car.   Although I work in the urgent to support relationships and my own competence, could investing time in the important work help to forge deeper relationships and make deep strides in learning and progress? Certainly!

Living in the ‘urgent’ often involves being reactive.  It can be a response to a crisis and may involve putting out fires.  There is absolutely a time and a place for urgent work.  But, if urgent work is always the priority then how are learning, relationships and progress sustained and nurtured?  This is done by investing time in the important work. I have come to realize that the important work really IS the urgent work. Important are the things that lead to deep learning, deeper relationships and growth of an organization . The important work is the work where seeds are planted; recognizing that at the time of planting, the obvious benefits may not be initially visible, but eventually the benefits become plentiful. If we don’t look past putting out fires to investing in the work of growing gardens then there will be nothing to sustain us past urgency.

I am working hard to balance urgent with important by intentionally setting aside time each day for the important work, both in my personal and professional life.  For me this means more time learning and reading – for pleasure and growth, more time connecting deeply with the people that are most important in my life and more time focused on wellness and gratitude. What is your important work?

My Learning Journey – What I Hadn’t Anticipated!

Sep22

large-3September presents educators with an eager anticipation for new beginnings and a sense of hope for limitless possibilities that lie ahead; for students – a hope in attaining their loftiest learning goals; for educators – a desire to unleash students’ fullest potential and for administrators – to empower their school communities to engage in cycles of continuous improvement.

This September I have started a new role as a system principal. Each day has been a new beginning filled with my own sense of anticipation and possibility. Many of the new experiences I have had so far have challenged me to think deeply and in new ways. One of the beautiful things about starting any new role is being able to learn about different moving parts of a system. I am fascinated by the ‘behind the scenes’ work that occurs at a system level to support learning in schools. I am hopeful that I can add value to the new frontiers I have begun to explore, the challenges that lie ahead of me and the new ways that I can ultimately enhance learning for students.

Amidst the excitement of starting a new role there are some things that I had not anticipated; for learningjourneyexample, how challenging it would be going from a position of being a knowledgeable other to one who is almost exclusively the recipient of new knowledge. I do not struggle with not knowing everything. In fact, I have always prided myself on recognizing that I have much to learn, but the steep learning curve of a new role can have the potential to make one’s confidence wane. The uncertainties I am experiencing are bringing me out of my comfort zone but in ways that leave me inspired to challenge myself. It is my hope that the skill set and attitude that has brought me to this point in my learning journey will continue to help me be successful in my new role and to apply my own fresh lens to each situation to which I am presented. I remind myself to hold onto my long held belief that mindset is crucial to success in any role and that new challenges are meant to be embraced!

Links:

A Leadership Mindset 

 

The Tortoise was Onto Something

Jan29

http://www.ted.com/talks/angela_lee_duckworth_the_key_to_success_grit?language=enMany years ago I used to read the fable of the Tortoise and the Hare to my boys.  Still, I often reference the value of the tortoise’s work ethic of moving ‘slow and steady’ when my children rush through their daily tasks such as homework, chores or piano practice. I would say there are times in my life where I am like the hare. It turns out that the turtle was onto something! This ‘stick-to-it-iveness’ quality of the tortoise is known as GRIT.

I’ve watched young athletes struggle through drills with unfailing perseverance to become top notch athletes and students overcome perceivably unsurmountable obstacles to achieve great success in school.  I recently listened to Angela Lee Duckworth’s powerful Ted talk.  She calls the ability to sustain passion and commitment in meeting long term goals “grit”. I believe grit contributes to the success these individuals achieve.

In her TED talk, Angela Lee Duckworth refers to grit as living life more like a marathon than a sprint.  Angela has shown that IQ is not the only difference between best and worst performing student and answers the question, “Why do some of our most talented students not do as well as they could?” Talent doesn’t make someone tortoisegritty.  It doesn’t help a person stay committed to things.

The idea of grit resonates with me because of its connection to growth mindset, a topic of several recent blogs. A growth mindset is the belief that one can learn with hard work and determination.  Angela shares that students with a growth mindset tend to be grittier. By having a growth mindset students are more likely to persist when they fail because they don’t believe failure is permanent.

I believe strongly in a rigorous curriculum, as reflected in many posts about curriculum related topics.  But imagine the impact on student learning when academics are combined with motivational factors such as growth-mindset and the grit to sustain and commit to achieving goals!

We know that intelligence is something that can grow.  What about motivational characteristics like grit?  How do we get students to be determined and to stick with things?   Angela Lee Duckworth states that this requires further research.  Even so, I already believe that deliberate practice, following your passion and modelling the value of making mistakes can only have a positive impact on student motivation. How do you think grit is instilled?

A link to Angela Lee Duckworth’s TED Talk  “The Key to Success? Grit”
Angela Lee Duckworth

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Creating Innovators

Nov4

creatingInnovatorsWhen you were younger, do you remember hearing adults say phrases such as, “Kids these days do not have the same motivation that we did when we were young.” Well, I find myself saying exactly that, but not with the tone you might expect. Understanding what motivates students helps educators plan the most effective ways to create conditions in our classrooms that inspire creativity and innovation and prepare students for their academic future.
I have started reading an inspiring book called “Creating Innovators” by Tony Wagner. Tony describes the Seven Survival Skills that students need for careers, continuous learning and citizenship:

  1. Critical thinking and problem solving
  2. Collaboration across networks and leading by influence
  3. Agility and adaptability
  4. Initiative and entrepreneurship
  5. Accessing and analyzing information
  6. Effective oral and written communication
  7. Curiosity and imagination (Wagner, 2012 p. 12)

No doubt, acquiring the skill set above requires students to be motivated. The good news is that children of this generation ARE motivated…just differently. In his book Wagner notes that play, passion and purpose are central to motivating students to learn. Educators and parents play an important role in encouraging these qualities in children.
Wagner notes that less structured play, exploration, experimentation, discovery through trial and error and risk taking are all important activities that have led some young innovators from play, to passion to purpose. These activities can most certainly be fostered at school and home.
One of the reasons why Wagner’s work resonates with me (and why I wish to share it with you) is because of the connection between the skills and qualities students need for success in the twenty first century and E.S.P.S.’ school focus on inquiry learning. Our commitment is reflected in our school goal.

Emily Stowe Public School’s Goal:
“Through the inquiry process students will be able to make connections between what they have learned, what they are learning and why.”

Students will:

  • make connections in communication and articulate the purpose of what they are learning
  • show curiosity by asking questions for different purposes (i.e. clarify meaning, reflecting on context, detect bias)

Educators will:

  • use authentic problems and tasks to explore big ideas and make connections to real life situations

For more about Tony Wagner’s book, Creating Innovators go to www.creatinginnovators.com

Watch a TEDTalk with Tony Wagner on his favourite topic of Play, Passion and Purpose! 

tonywagner
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Time Sensitive Announcement
Tony Wagner will be speaking in Thames Valley via Live Stream
Register Today!

tonywagnerLiveStream

 

Fixed Mindset or Growth Mindset! Where are you?

Sep7

Jordan Free ShotI have often been described as an optimist. Truth be told, I have always thought that believing good things will happen is the first step towards good things actually happening. I remember hearing that, before taking a foul shot, the famous basketball player, Michael Jordan would visualize the ball going into the basket. This always stuck with me.

The power of believing in oneself is referred to as self-efficacy. Last week I read a wonderful article that examines the power self-efficacy and the role of educators in promoting this. I want to share some of the highlights with you because I also see applications for home. At the beginning of the school year students are setting goals and are often feeling optimistic about a new school year which seems like a perfect time to explore the concept of believing in oneself as a learner.

The article refers to two distinct mind-sets that students can have about learning, a fixed mind-set or a growth mind-set. A person with a fixed mind-set believes that intelligence is fixed; you either have it or you don’t. I can’t imagine that students would be too excited about learning with this mind-set.

A person with a growth mindset believes that intellectual ability can grow through instruction and effort. A growth mind-set does not imply that we are all the same or that we will all turn out to be like Einstein, but simply, that we all have potential to be our best selves with effort and hard work. Furthermore, research shows that students with a growth mind-set perform better in school and overcome obstacles with greater success than students with a fixed mind-set.

I challenge parents, teachers and principals to examine their mind-sets about learning and the mind-sets of their children related to power of hard work and beliefs about learning. The following ideas, taken from the article, will help to promote a growth mindset:

  • 1. Believe in children’s potential
  • 2. Value (and praise) taking on challenges, putting in effort and overcoming obstacles
  • 3. Hard work DOES make you smarter by making your brain grow new connections
  • 4. School (and home) are not for judging but they are places to help your brain grow those connections.

My youngest son wears a t-shirt that says, “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.” I always liked that t-shirt. Reading about a ‘growth mindset” now helps me realize WHY it is that I Iike this shirt so much. The E.S.P.S. staff is looking forward to working together with you to help your child achieve their fullest potential in the upcoming school year.

To read the article yourself click here! It’s a good one! Carol S. Dweck is a excellent source of information on this topic!

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Growth Mindset

B.Y.O.D. Fad or Trend?

Mar23

mobile-intheclassroom“If we teach today as we taught yesterday, we rob our children of tomorrow. “ John Dewey

This is an exciting time in education.! The possibilities are endless as we move into a digital age of learning.  Digital learning has inspired the introduction of BYOD at our school.   BYOD stands for Bring Your Own Device. Using Personal Electronic Devices (PEDs) is becoming an important consideration in teaching and learning for students to become 21st Century citizens. 

Many people feel reluctance when thinking about students using their own devices at school.  Concerns can stem from fear of misuse of technology and the consequences surrounding it.  That would describe me perfectly one year ago.  The following analogy shared by a colleague helped to put BYOD into a learning context for me:  If a student misuses a pencil do we ban pencils in our schools?  Of course not.  Pencils are necessary tool for learning.  Technology has also become a necessary and powerful tool for learning.  In a digital age, students require skills in digital citizenship, digital literacy, digital law, and digital etiquette. The reality is that many students have their own technology already available. Using one’s own device has many benefits including discovering ways to use the device for learning purposes, honouring  personal preference, increasing engagement, and providing a sense of responsibility for personal property.

BYOB does not mean that students are required to bring their devices to school.   Access to technology will continue to be made available to all students.  The difference is that students who want to bring their own technology will be allowed,with teacher permission, and the skills around the courteous and effective use of technology will be taught and enforced.

                 As we are beginning our BYOD journey at Emily Stowe Public School using technology effectively  will require a well thought out policy on where, when and how devices are to be used at school.  This week our gr. 5-8 students participated in an assembly ‘launching’ the possibilities and expectations around BYOD.   Over the next few blogs I will share more about digital learning.  In addition, parents of students in our older grades can expect BYOD information to be sent home outlining our philosophy, acceptable use and consequences.     

                Learning is not static. It is likely that as our understanding of technology grows, our policies will need to be fine-tuned.   We will welcome and encourage staff, student and parent input. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or would like to provide feedback on our current BYOD practices. 

                For more information on BYOD and 21st Century learning visit our Learning Technologies Coordinator’s website

Click here to watch a video entitled “Considering a BYOD model” which is a fun watch for those interested in learning more about the benefits and limitations around BYOD.

So What If I Fail?

Jan22

failureSuccessA few weeks ago I was reading an online blog that hit a chord with me.  The gist of the author’s message was that failure is inevitable but it is what we do after our failures that have the potential of making us wiser and stronger.  As the weeks have passed the relevance of this message has become so clear in school life.

Taking risks is an important part of learning.  A risk, by its definition, has the potential for failure.  Teachers craft new learning for students each day to help them grow as learners. There is no formula for ensuring student success because every student has unique strengths and challenges.  So, we take risks and try new strategies without the guarantee that what we try will achieve what we want it to, thus the potential for ‘failure’.  What do we do when students don’t achieve the result we desire? Here is where the deep learning happens for us as educators.

This is also true for students. Sometimes tackling a challenging learning problem does not have the results that students hope for.  So what is next? Here is a beautiful example of the potential of moving forward when you fail.  This week students in an FDK classroom were trying to turn water into ice.  One 5 year old proposed that putting the water on the stove might turn it to ice.  As you may have guessed, cooking the water did not turn it into ice.  Instead of giving up, the result of this ‘failure’ was the generation of many new proposals for making ice.  It generated a new energy in this student’s learning and the learning of children around him. ‘Failure’ had led to incredible new learning for these young children!

There are behavioural applications for failure. As you know students are sometimes sent to visit my office after they have made a poor choice in judgment.  Essentially, these are times when students have ‘failed’.  Consequences are issued, but the real learning comes from what happens after consequences are issued. This week I witnessed two examples of students who had made unfortunate choices and turned those choices into new learning and a strengthening of friendships.  Both of these students apologized from their heart to their peer, to myself and took it upon themselves to make restitution.  One student walked up to the student whose feelings had been hurt, looked him in the eye, reached out his hand to shake the hand of his peer with an accompanying apology and walked back to class with him.  The second student returned to my office (without being asked) days after the incident occurred, apologized a second time for the choice that was made and vowed to help repair the item that had been damaged.  Neither was asked by me to do this.

I am left with tremendous hope about the power of ‘failure’ in learning and wonder about the other applications it has in my life and the life of those around me.