Written by I’ve been thinking about the session 1 F2F homework and the direction for my action plan this past month, but I haven’t felt that I was in a place to really articulate a ‘blog worthy’ plan just yet. I am in my second year of Cohort 21 however, and the ‘Cohort Effect’ messaging is getting through… “that’s ok”! That I am thinking about it, showing up and collecting ideas and insights in my daily practice and in conversation with my peers.
Twice in the last week I have been moved in the direction of my action plan ideas by a prompt. I habitually collect prompts that resonate with my personal / professional thinking and mood; they could be pictures, pieces of writing, artworks or quotations. I have found the use of a prompt to be helpful in the classroom for nudging students in the right direction, so why not for myself?
I know a number of us receive Seth Godin’s daily blog in our inboxes – that was an excellent piece of advice I picked up from @gnichols & @jmedved last year. Recently a couple of entries have really struck a chord – today his piece on ‘two kinds of careening’ ( https://seths.blog/ ) focusses on the the ideas of being out on a limb trying new things and what is possible when we act ‘as if’ before we are sure. I feel like that is me presently. I am immersed in an ocean of ‘new things’ in my new work as ‘innovation support’. There is an army of new digital tools to explore, new hardware to learn how to use and the potential of unlimited idea generation around how to take old projects in new directions … how to ‘innovate’. And that word is so far, my direction. What does it mean? How does it apply to education. I am after the explicit … how do teachers embody this mindset, how do students? I am a Geographer and so I am looking for a ‘map’ for this journey. And that is what I don’t presently have; that fuels some anxiety, but also excitement. Without a map, you have to reach out to others, make connections, find landmarks, be a ‘wayfinder’. This approach virtually ensures adventure and exploration and – FUN.
So, there are times at the moment as I ‘wayfind’ and try things in my classroom and in collaboration with other teachers that I am ‘acting as if’. But I relish the exhilaration of being in this place and creating this map as I go.
I love your positive attitude about venturing into the unknown and learning. I look forward to exploring ideas with you tomorrow and in the weeks ahead.
@aampbellrogers I’m happy to share with you how I approach “wayfinding” and the tools I use to ensure that whatever I am pushing is linked to a larger school strategy and is always aligned with initiatives and that current and being sustained but other people and energy in the school. It really help in the long term sustainability of the innovation but also your own energy and mindset.