Sunday, October 16, 2016

Innovator's Mindset Week 5 Reflection

After finishing the Innovator's Mindset and watching this week's Youtube discussion, the following
questions caused me to reflect on my own practice and school culture:

1) Do I know and build upon the strengths of those I serve?

Honestly, I could do a much better job of highlighting my students' strengths or interests. I do offer lots of voice and choice in my classroom, but I could do more to push students in the areas where they excel. I'm reminded of a chapter from John Spencer and A.J. Juliani's book, Launch, where they discuss how to have students own their genius and how we, as teachers, should celebrate their geniuses.

2) Are we embracing new (and better) opportunities for learning, and making decisions based on supporting these new realities?

I do this often in my classroom and practice. I create lessons (mainly project-based learning or inquiry-based projects) with the idea that they're going to create something new, share it, and connect with others during the process. Many times the technology (computers) are not the focal point rather it's the learning accelerator, allowing them to share and connect.

3) How do we share openly and regularly to further our own learning and development?

I use this blog to reflect and share with the world about what happens in my classroom and resources I've been using. I would like to do more reflecting on a daily basis. I don't think may of my colleagues, but I think it would be powerful for students and teachers to reflect on their day, every day, using the blogging platform. It would be fun to have a podcast for students and teachers to share their learning as well.

4) Do our professional learning opportunities mirror the learning we want to create for our students?

For the most part, the professional learning opportunities provided by my district have limited choice or voice. I often leave feeling like the PD was a waste of my time. It's getting better as more leaders are realizing the importance of meeting the needs of teachers. I try to give my students voice and choice in what they learn, and when I have to deliver PD, I keep this in mind.

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