Category: Be the Change

A Dialogue begins as a monolog

December 4th, 2022
Communication within my secondary math classroom has always been an area where improvement is needed. Whether it be my ability to converse with an apathetic learner or my learners’ struggles in verbalizing their understanding of the concepts they are trying to master. A dialogue must be established to convey one’s stance on issues and concerns to other important actors. A Crucial Conversation is a conversation where stakes are high, opinions vary, and emotions run strong (Grenny et al., 2021). These interchanges can happen at any moment and situation in our lives. They happen with our loved ones or with our colleagues at work.

While navigating Crucial Conversations, I discovered a lot of weaknesses on my part when it comes to these important conversations. For instance, I am an emotional person. While this is not always a bad thing, amid an important discussion, it can render finding a solution impossible. We must be able to listen, as well as know what to say for others to understand where we are coming from and where we want to go.

In Crucial Conversations, Grenny et al. gave readers nine principles to work through for successful conversations with others. The beauty of their research is that one can use it with any Crucial Conversation. The nine principles (2021) are:

Figure 1. Crucial Conversations Infographic created in Canva (Grenny et al., 2021)

There are several of the principles presented that stood out to me as areas I struggle with and would find beneficial personally to having a deeper understanding of them.

Choose Your Topic

The dialogue needs to begin as a monolog. We must internalize and reflect on exactly what issue needs to be addressed. The type of issue is also determined in this first principle. To determine which level of conversation is necessary, we must unbundle the issue (Grenny et al., 2021). Use the acronym CPR to recall the three levels of conversation. If this is the first time the action or concern is being addressed, it is a Content issue. If the issue is a Process or Pattern issue, the action or concern has come up again. Grenny et al. refer to it as a pattern due to its repeatedly presented as a topic of concern. If actions and issues remain unaddressed for a prolonged period, the impact on Relationships is inevitable. By deconstructing the actions or issues, we receive clarity on the situation. With this clearness, we can determine what we really want from the others involved in the situation.

Start with Heart

It is not really about what we say, rather how we say it. We need to start with ourselves. Where we come from does play a part. Keeping the needs of others and yourself at the forefront will lead to a solution-based discussion. Our emotions and mindset must be focused. To engage effectively in a Crucial Conversation, we must be open-minded and willing to listen to others. We also must be willing to own our part of the issue(s) at hand. Our truth is just that, ours. We do not know others’ truth until we ask them. Mutual respect should be established, so all parties are validated and heard. To aid in this, find common ground. While we are all different, we do share commonalities. By being authentic, we can remain in the conversation.

Master My Stories

Actions can speak louder than words. With that, we must be cautious in our interpretations of actions made by others. Our stories will likely not align with their motives. This is why open, honest communication is imperative for the success of any relationship. A conflict that started insignificantly could grow consequential if one does not master their stories. These stories are the scenarios we tell ourselves to justify others’ words and actions. Mastering our stories requires inner reflection. We can only control our behaviors and emotions. We must start there. To gain control, the focus should return to the facts in the matter. through understanding the facts, we can regain our emotions and think about issues rationally.

STATE My Path

Once we have established the issue that needs correction, how do we stay on course to that solution? We must remain open to the views of others. We also make sure we are still discussing the right topic. We do this by using the acronym STATE (Grenney et al., 2021):
- Sharing the facts
- Tell our stories
- Ask other person’s story
- Talk tentatively
- Encourage testing
Following the five steps presented, we can find compromise and success becomes more likely in our Crucial Conversations.

Move to Action

Where do we go after the Crucial Conversation is over? Well, it likely is not over, but the direction has shifted. Before discussions, we might have found ourselves in an impossible scenario. After a successful high stake discussion with all participants, those who have mastered dialogue will find that those lines of communication need to remain open. the survival and growth of relationships, professional or personal, depend on honest and open communication. To stay on track, Grenny et al. argue we must decide what the next steps for everyone involved are (2021). Timelines should be determined through the steps that remain in wrapping up any issues or concerns. Accountability can be addressed within the next steps and deadlines.

Although I am a good listener, I realize I do not hear much. I need to work on listening to others’ stories. This is most apparent in the formulation of my stories. My stories are not complete, and this leads to Crucial Conversations revolving around the wrong topics. I find little success in the issues that arise in relationships. Within relationships, there is not one person that bares the sole responsibility in all the areas of concern. We all have to shoulder our part of that burden. It is only until we do that that the right topics can be addressed in those vital discussions. Ultimately, the conflict will remain until we figure out our roles in these Crucial Conversations.

References

Grenny, J., Patterson, K., McMillan, R., Switzler, A., & Gregory, E. (2021). Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High, Third Edition. McGraw-Hill Education.
Inevitable Change

November 27th, 2022
While there has been no change in the physics of time and space, the days and weeks morph into years more rapidly the older we get. Our responsibilities in the classroom are never ending and seem more daunting as each day passes. Thus, our “whirlwind” is ever looming and resistant to be tamed (McChesney et al., 2022). The pandemic set us into a perpetual fast-forward motion within education. We are presented with the opportunity to find and focus on what we, as educators, can control.

Photo by Monstera on Pexels.com

The Four Disciplines of Execution (4DX) approach gives us the blueprint to execute change and move towards a culture of execution to sustain the success of any Wildly Important Goal or WIG (McChesney et al., 2022). What are the four disciplines? They are:
- Focus on the Wildly Important
- Act on the Lead Measures
- Keep a Compelling Scoreboard
- Create a Cadence of Accountability
The five stages of change will help us successfully navigate and implement these four principles (McChesney et al., 2022). Nevertheless, first, we should begin with our goal and find clarity in how we start reaching it.

Focus on the Wildly Important

With an Innovation Plan established, we had to narrow the focus of our intentions. We found focus in the desired results we seek in the Influencer Strategy. Our WIG is as follows: By May 2023, math learners will reflect on and assess their learning 2-3 times per week while participating in the Blended Learning model of a Flipped Classroom. This WIG will create opportunities to focus on the campus expectation of writing across the curriculum while maintaining the implementation of only one WIG for our team, as McChesney et al. (2022) suggested.

Act on the Lead Measures

We will look at two measures to monitor our progress. Lead measures have to meet two criteria. First, it must be predictive. In other words, if we complete a specific action, the results are predictable. Secondly, the measure must be influenceable. As a team, we can make changes that will have a direct effect in our favor. The second measure will be the lag measure. This data will allow us to track where we are in our journey to the destination, the WIG.

Lag Measures:
- We will track the number of times per week each educator has learners reflect and self-assess
- We will use feedback from learner reflections and self-assessment to measure student growth
Lead Measure:
- Teachers will incorporate the reflection and self-assessment opportunities into lessons using a Flipped Classroom model at least two times a week.
Keep a Compelling Scoreboard

When team members can see the score during a game, their level of play rises (McChesney et al., 2022). They can see their contribution to that win. Thus, motivating the team to work harder to ensure they will keep winning. In a table, we can track the opportunities provided for learners to reflect on and assess their learning. We can easily create a line graph from the table that will quickly provide a glimpse of our progress on our WIG.

Created in Google Sheets

We will establish an expectation to review the reflections of our learners. That feedback will be addressed regularly in our WIG meetings.

Create a Cadence of Accountability

The Algebra I team already meets weekly. We will add to the agenda of our PLC time to include a 15-20 minute discussion of our WIG. We will use that time to debrief individually during class to reflect and self-assess. We will each state what one or two items we can focus on for the coming week to make the most impact on our progress toward meeting our WIG (McChesney et al., 2022). During these discussions, we will focus on the right WIG and how to change course if necessary. Accountability is determined and followed through during these meetings. Norms will be established at the beginning to protect time and opinions. We all need to know that everyone is essential for the team to win the game of accomplishing our WIG!

Five Stages of Change

Now that we have established the four disciplines let us address the stages in which change will occur. We will find success as the most likely outcome through these five stages. Is it going to be easy? Of course not! Change human behavior to never easy. However, by utilizing 4DX with fidelity, we will win and find ourselves starting the process again with a new WIG while our accomplishments will return to our whirlwind (McChesney et al., 2022).

Stage 1: Getting Clear

It is in the beginning that we build our four disciplines of execution. We will determine our WIG. We establish the lead and lag measures. We will decide on a scoreboard that will work for the team. Accountability is set in place through developing norms for our WIG meetings that will occur often. These meetings will be structured and brief to respect all the team members. We are ready for launch!

Stage 2: Launch

Commitment and focus on the 4DX process are imperative from day 1. It may prove rough, but the beginning is crucial for any leader to exemplify that commitment. Models (those ready to get work done), Not Yet (those who need some more convincing), and Nevers (those likely to never be a team player) need to be identified to be addressed in the future (McChesney et al., 2022). We should always model positivity in addition to our commitment. Leaders should refrain from allowing the whirlwind to interfere with accomplishing any WIG.

Stage 3: Adoption

As we roll our sleeves up and dig into the hard work, we need to support and counsel those who have yet to commit fully to the WIG. Those identified as Models can provide mentorship to those who have yet to commit to the WIG. Training will be provided to support those who are struggling. We must drive the process before we can address the preliminary results. Maintaining accountability and motivation through our scoreboard and crucial conversations is necessary to push toward a win. Adjusting and pivoting can and will happen based on discussions and results brought forward in weekly WIG meetings. With the adjustments and conversations, we hope to see attitudes change and our lead measures give us positive outcomes.

Stage 4: Optimization

Results should begin to show significant progress toward accomplishing the WIG. Positivity and encouragement should continue to dominate the ongoing regular WIG meetings. Celebrating the successes will also be a regular occurrence. New and innovative ideas should be considered as team members perfect their practices. During this stage, we find that a team has reached a 4DX mindset (McChesney et al., 2022). Habits are being formed, making a path for future wins with future WIGs.

Stage 5: Habits

We did it! We accomplished our first WIG. Hopefully, these practices and processes that started out as uncomfortable and foreign will turn as natural and expected. Our team will be in a position to tackle the next WIG with even greater success. We will be in a place to grow our team and include our math department or even campus.

Photo by icon0.com on Pexels.com

4DX and Influencer

With these books to guide us, we can accomplish our goals. The Six Sources of Influence can guide us in narrowing our focus on how to change human behavior (Grenny et al., 2013). Both strategies complement each other. It seems intuitive to utilize both to lead change in an organization. We can take that desired result to find our Wildly Important Goal and implement the Four Disciplines of Execution to bring about that change (McChesney et al., 2022). With a focus on motivation, positivity, and the emotion of change supported by implementing both strategies, we will find our learners’ maximum growth and potential.

References

Grenny, J., Patterson, K., Maxfield, D., McMillan, R., & Switzler, A. (2013). Influencer: The New Science of Leading Change, Second Edition (2nd ed.). McGraw Hill.

McChesney, C., Covey, S., Huling, J., Thele, S., & Walker, B. (2022). The 4 Disciplines of Execution: Revised and Updated: Achieving Your Wildly Important Goals (2nd ed.). Simon & Schuster.

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Begin With The End In Mind

October 23rd, 2022

“People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it.”
Simon Sinek

One of the most common personal questions I get from my learners is why do I teach? I tell them because I love to learn. The reaction to my response is typically confusion. This was not always how I answered that question. Up until about 6 months ago, it would have been because I love math and the relationships I cultivate with my learners. The change in my reply to that seemingly simple inquiry has resulted from my learning over the first three classes in the ADL program. My search for my why led me to pursue my graduate degree. My why motivates me to get out of bed every weekday morning.

Speaking to the Heart

Changing human behavior is not for the faint of heart. It is challenging and painstaking. Change is a frequent occurrence in public education. Those in a position to make those changes do not see the daily struggle that we face in the classroom. We are forever trying to implement the right interpretation of the mandatory change only to rethink the protocol or program the very next school year. You see, with those mandated policies come very little guidance as far as exactly what it looks like when simply enacted. It often appears that those mandates are not passed with the heart of educators in mind. Thus leading to continued struggle and neverending obstacles.

In his video, The Heart of Change, Kotter argues that you must win over the heart, as well as the minds of people when trying to change behavior (2011). Student success is always at the forefront of any decision-making in a schoolhouse. Educators and administrators are driven by this criterion alone. If it helps our learners, then it is a change worth making. We must seek to engage the heart of everyone involved. This includes learners, as well as the community that every school is in.

Sense of Urgency

There is no secret when it comes to the antiquity of the approach in a traditional public school classroom. We all realize how urgent it is to better prepare our learners for the ever-changing demands of our technologically dependent society. Our learners are ill-prepared to find success beyond the high school classroom. Competition for jobs can be expected in all fields. I witness feelings of apathy in regard to education on a daily basis. Young people do not care to learn because the education they are receiving does not give them authentic learning opportunities. They have not been given choice and the chance to find that they have autonomy in their learning. This is unacceptable. We, the educators and school administrators, have the ability and obligation to do something about it.

By using a Flipped Classroom model in my math classroom, I will create significant learning environments that will afford them opportunities for choice and ownership (Harapnuik et al., 2018). A Blended Learning Model of a Flipped Classroom was an easy choice. My team and administrators have been supportive of my innovation project from day one. My team has planned and implemented a modified Flipped Classroom approach (Horn & Straker, 2015). The instruction is offered as videos that are accessible at home and at school. The practice component is where the choice is offered. I utilize digital resources, like Delta Math, Quizizz, Edia, and Google Forms and Practice Sets. The benefit of the online proactive is for the learners to have immediate feedback and intervention embedded into most of these platforms (i.e. videos and worked examples). I will also have a low-tech option for those students that have limited access to technology outside of the school house.

By exposing my learners to a Flipped Classroom model, I hope to inspire them to look for their own resources to implement in future learning environments. Another possible outcome that I will strive to make happen is the influence of my innovation project on my colleagues to use a Blended Learning model in their own classroom. While making sure my students have the right tools and resources, they can use this approach themselves in any of their other subjects. It would be so awesome to see learners take full control over everything they seek to learn and master. My “teacher heart” would be full to even have one of my students experience this.

By influencing young people to find value in education and learning, their experiences will influence others and they, in turn, will continue this snowball effect of inspiring lifelong learners. I envision this as one strategy to break away from the traditional factory model of education. This change has to start in the classroom, not in a government committee meeting. Our learners can lead this change with their teachers as their mentors and coaches.

References

Harapnuik, D., Thibodeaux, T., & Cummings, C. (2018, January). COVA (0.9) [EBook]. Creative Commons License. https://www.harapnuik.org/?page_id=7291

Horn, M. B., Staker, H., & Christensen, C. M. (2015). Blended: Using Disruptive Innovation to Improve Schools (1st ed.). Jossey-Bass.

Dr. John Kotter. (2011, March 23). John Kotter – The Heart of Change [Video]. YouTube. Retrieved October 23, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NKti9MyAAw

Dr. John Kotter. (2013, August 15). Leading Change: Establish a Sense of Urgency [Video]. YouTube. Retrieved October 23, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Yfrj2Y9IlI

TEDx Talks. (2009, September 28). Start with why — how great leaders inspire action | Simon Sinek | TEDxPugetSound [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4ZoJKF_VuA&feature=youtu.be

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Building a Strong Foundation

October 12th, 2022

The skills learned in math are building blocks that lead to future mastery of content. My experiences in the classroom have revolved around the lack of number sense with my learners. Even those brightest (aka gifted and talented) find themselves challenged. In my Honors Geometry classroom, I do not allow the use of calculators on assessments. I have given up trying to keep them off their device when calculating a solution.

My answer to this is to focus on giving opportunities for spiral review. I have implemented the use of Microsoft Teams amongst my learners. I have developed a gamified approach to this to incentivize it. I will not require them to complete the activities, but I will offer prizes in the form of homework passes and bonus points they can apply toward assessment grades. I am still in the planning stage for the prizes and how I will randomly select the students.

Even as I review materials presented in their lessons, I intend to use this method to offer a review of elementary math skills (i.e. operations with fractions and decimals) that we all need a refresh on from time to time. I picture this as a way to influence a growth mindset and give confidence to those who may doubt their mathematical abilities.

Ultimately, the “prize” will be clarification and mastery of some of the topics that learners remain puzzled by. As I develop this strategy, I will look to implement it in my Algebra I classes. This might be just the approach I need for the spring semester when the countdown is on for their mandatory state test. I see my learners and the potential that they themselves have yet to realize. In a perfect world, I will guide them all to that potential. I am not naive as I once was as a new educator. Even the success of one learner should be celebrated!
CSLE+COVA

October 10th, 2022

How can I create a significant learning environment for my learners to find choice, ownership, and voice through authentic learning? Harapnuik et al. (2018) argue that it all begins with the teacher. I am obligated to do all I can to facilitate and mentor my learners through their learning. My readings about CSLE+COVA prompted me to revisit my Learning Manifesto. I am reminded of my “why.” Teaching high schoolers is not a task for the faint of heart. I truly love the opportunity I am afforded every day in the classroom. My current reflections are how can I be better for my students?

Harapnuik et al. (2018) suggested we must care enough about our learners to give up control to them. This is my current plight. So much rides on their mastery of the math concepts I am given to teach them. My students must pass a state-mandated Algebra I test for graduation. But beyond this fact, the topics being covered are foundational to future math courses. Mastery will ensure the possibility of future success in a math classroom.

I have implemented a hybrid of a flipped classroom. Time is provided in class for watching lesson videos, practice, and mastery checks (a formative assessment to provide a checkpoint of understanding). Students have been given firm deadlines for quizzes and end-of-unit assessments, but their pacing between those times is of their own choosing. I am looking for other strategies to lead learners to inquiry-based learning to cement the idea of autonomy and choice. These are one of the three pivotal criteria to boost engagement and motivation, as presented by Davenport (2022). She used the work of David Pink in his book, Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us. The other two are mastery and purpose. Mastery can only be fulfilled if learners see themselves as “meaning makers” and not just as clients of the education they are being presented with. Purpose comes with the connections being made to the learning and the discovery of the why.

I am often presented with the question of why they have to learn mathematics. The sentiment is that it will never be of use to them. My automatic response is that I am teaching them to reason and problem-solve. This is true. But not the whole reason we learn mathematics. Math is also about creativity and making sense (Boaler, 2022). We must look for ways to influence our learners to see the connections and value knowledge of math has in their lives. I see math in many facets of daily life. I will task myself to put those on display for my learners and let them explore on their own.

Math is art. And why it matters. | Yudhister Kumar | TEDxTemecula

Kumar (2022) argue that math goes beyond its root in the sciences. He suggests math should be considered as it has for thousands of years, as a study of philosophy and its relevance to the field of art. Connecting mathematics to history and the arts might prove to be the strategy to engage reluctant learners. This re-evaluation warrants further exploration.

References

Boaler, J. (2022). Mathematical Mindsets: Unleashing Students’ Potential through Creative Mathematics, Inspiring Messages and Innovative Teaching. Wiley.

Davenport, M. (2022, August 24). Boosting High School Students’ Sense of Agency and Motivation. Edutopia. Retrieved October 2, 2022, from https://www.edutopia.org/article/boosting-high-school-students-sense-agency-and-motivation

Harapnuik, D., Thibodeaux, T., & Cummings, C. (2018, January). COVA (0.9) [EBook]. Creative Commons License. https://www.harapnuik.org/?page_id=7291

Math is art. And why it matters. | Yudhister Kumar | TEDxTemecula. (2021, November 4). [Video]. YouTube. Retrieved October 10, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCptO1sv7So

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Implementation Outline

July 14th, 2022

Thank you for leaving your feedback and suggestions as comments to this blog post. Your assistance will help me be the best teacher for my future learners!

_Flipping the Script__ Implemetation Outline
I Am Change & a Sense of Urgency

July 14th, 2022
Words have a lasting impact. We often hear the phrase, “Actions speak louder than words.” Body language and tone of voice are just as impactful as words.

By creating a visual representation of my innovation proposal, I hope to convey the importance of changing our learning approach in our Algebra 1 classrooms. The goal is for my audience, my administrators, my department chair, and the school community, to realize my sincere intentions of providing the most beneficial classroom environment for our learners. The opportunity that a flipped classroom will afford the students to find their voice and ownership.

The point of view that I must take with my media plea is one of our community. Here are some questions I need to answer:
- Will the benefits go beyond our Algebra I classrooms?
- How can this model’s employment inspire educators in other subject and content areas?
- How will I support those joining in my vision?
- Where do my colleagues stand in their comfort level of technology in the classroom?
- What does the teacher’s role look like? What does the student’s role look like?
- How do we ensure the success of a blended learning model?
- Do we need to utilize other models and create a hybrid model of our own?
- What support do I need to implement and ensure the success of my innovation project?
I think my words and research will help me do this, but I have to convince my audience that I truly BELIEVE it is a necessary change for ultimately the whole of our school community. This is the most important piece of my proposal, my belief. With that mindset, I do not see how we can fail!

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com

References

Crucial Learning. (2015, January 5). How to change people who don’t want to change | The Behavioral Science Guys [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ACi-D5DI6A&feature=youtu.be

Words, P. O. (2010, February 23). The power of words [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hzgzim5m7oU&feature=youtu.be
Progressive Education

June 22nd, 2022

Photo by David Gylland

It is mind-boggling how many similarities the language has in the video to how we talk about education today. We want our students to accomplish while they are learning. Hands-on projects are still one of the greatest trends amongst teachers. Connecting an experience to a concept will help learners retain that knowledge. Connecting lessons throughout the core subjects (and even electives like World Language courses and Business Management) is also still a strategic approach we like to use. But what is also strange is how much we have NOT changed since the 1940s. We still stand at the front of a classroom and lecture while students take notes. We still have the parents complaining about what their children are or are not learning. They had a front seat to their education over the last 2 years, thanks to virtual learning. This led to new voices speaking up about all the things they disagreed with that were happening in their child’s classroom. While I believe parents/guardians need to be involved in the education of their children, there needs to be trusted on their part towards teachers, admin, and other personnel in the district to decide what content is presented and how it will be taught. We are the ones who have been trained in making these decisions and it is always done with the best interests of our learners in mind. That begs the question: how do teachers instigate change that will affect the classrooms outside of their own schoolhouse? Is it even possible? This is one of the many questions I am pondering as I develop my Innovation project. How can I bring about significant change for the good of my community? I think it is possible, if not inevitable.

From the blog, People who like this stuff…like this stuff, change has been avoided because a few stakeholders feel that the status quo is working just fine. That is not what I see from my point of view. My students and coworkers are struggling. My experiences and observations from inside my school have been echoed by many. These last 2 years have exposed a system that is failing at a potentially catastrophic level. So many educators are leaving and not enough going to school to become an educator. How do we get the people making the decisions to see the fight we face on a daily basis without it being at the expense of our learners and educators? We have to bridge that abyss-sized divide between the stakeholders and our classrooms. I will continue to better myself and my practices for my learners. Hopefully, my experiences will allow me to share them with my colleagues and inspire others to find their full potential. I feel those in the “trenches” need to find our voice and tell those making decisions that we need change. Our students will continue to suffer if we do not throw our caution to the wind and try something innovative and, yes, scary. As I like to remind my students, anything worth it in life will take effort and hard work. I, for one, am ready to roll up my sleeves and get to work engaging my learners. They need to have a voice too!
Disruptive Innovation: Collaborative Discussion

June 1st, 2022

“When something is important enough, you do it even if the odds are not in your favor.”
Elon Musk

In the 12 years that I have been in the classroom, I have seen a lot of change. It is something educators do on a daily basis. We make thousands of decisions as we go through a lesson or activity with our learners. We also seem to try in many ways to reinvent the wheel after each school year. Reflection is also something that educators are always doing. This comes with new strategies for formative assessment, the latest SEL practices, and finding the newest educational software innovations. These are all important to look at and reevaluate. But sometimes those changes don’t even get a chance to make an impact because we are again moving on to the “latest and greatest” trend in the education world.

I have seen the rollout of a lot of technology. My first experience was in 2017 when my district provided a class set of Chromebooks to every teacher. I can remember thinking about how I was going to figure out how to use this on a weekly (even better yet, daily) basis? I was offered hours of PD and gave up a lot of planning and personal time figuring out the best use of this awesome tool. As good as my intentions were, I struggled and often I found myself using it to get a break from the “sit and get” that really wears me out. Disruptive change was not what was happening in this situation.

Fast-forward to January of this year. I am now in another district at another high school. This time, I am awarded a class set of Chromebooks that have been purchased with ESSR funds. I embraced the technology and dove in. With my experiences of distance learning and getting more Google savvy, I found a passion for creating learning menus and hyperdocs for my Geometry classes. The feedback from my classes was positive. However, I found myself with 2 fairly significant problems. I work with 2 teams of teachers due to having 2 preps. One of those teams did not have the technology in their classrooms. I was often utilizing the technology when they could not. I am hoping this will not be an issue next year with the rumors of more technology coming! The second issue was (and is) the most difficult and daunting. Student apathy and truancy has spread like a plague among our learners. I spent a lot of time reflecting about what I could do to “fix it.” This is when I realized that it was me that had to make the first big change. I cannot change anyone but myself. I applied to graduate school.

As I read Blended (Horn & Staker, 2015), I feel inspired and a bit overwhelmed. I am eager to bring about disruptive change on my campus (and hopefully in my district). The last 2 years have been so challenging for teachers with having to use technology as the only means of lesson and assessment delivery. We need to go back to the drawing board and look at best practices. Technology is not the quick fix that many thought it would be. It is not that easy. With all the technology we all have at our disposal at any time, we have to encourage learners to see the benefit of technology at the very beginning. It does not have to be the only way to learn. I am left with wondering how best to narrow my project’s focus and how I am going to accomplish my goal. I can’t do it all, as much as I want to try.

Category: Be the Change

Choose Your Topic

Start with Heart

Master My Stories

STATE My Path

Move to Action

Focus on the Wildly Important

Act on the Lead Measures

Lag Measures:

Lead Measure:

Keep a Compelling Scoreboard

Create a Cadence of Accountability

Five Stages of Change

Stage 1: Getting Clear

Stage 2: Launch

Stage 3: Adoption

Stage 4: Optimization

Stage 5: Habits

4DX and Influencer

References

Speaking to the Heart

Sense of Urgency

References