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I’m not sure if anyone else felt the same but my brain hurt after our meeting. It was exhausted.
I thought I’d take a moment to reflect on some of the things that stuck in my mind. I’d love to hear what resonated with you.
What does it mean to be innovative? This was a question Rosemary presented to us at the start of the meeting. Innovation comes from a Latin word meaning “new” and relates to alternating or renew the way something has been done. This is what Cohort21 is about. Many people believe innovation means technological advances. The Design cycle and yesterday’s activities show us that it’s more than that. It’s about thinking, rethinking and looking for alternative approaches.
My one challenge though was how we showed our innovation. What I enjoy most about @Cohort21, as I mentioned in my first blog, is how it’s an opportunity to connect with others. I loved the moments where my group got sidetracked and started talking to each other. I enjoyed looking around and seeing faces as unsure as my own was and engaging in conversation to help problem-solve their questions and support finding a solution. I; however, struggled with how much of the day was spent writing and re-writing. I still feel stuck with my idea and my plan as so many new ideas came forth. My strength as a teacher is in my interest in problem-solving and think-tanking with others. I’m nervous to commit to one idea and have a few percolating. I wish there had been more time to talk ideas our and sharing as a group. Doing it on a blog doesn’t quite seem like I’ll get help and answer the same way.
So I’ve decided to be innovative. I’m starting up some Cohort and Coffee (which I may change to Cohort and Cookies (for those that know me, they know I love baking) or Cohort and Conversations). I’m reaching out to those I know (and to any of you that read this to comment and maybe connect, for guidance to show how we are a group of innovators. 
What is the Purpose of School? Another key idea that was brought up was the purpose of school. This is something that’s always interested me. Something I explored in detail during my Masters. School comes from a history of creating workers. Yet we live in a time where we are preparing students for jobs that have yet to exist. But how are we doing that? Are we teaching to the test (I hope not!)? Are we teaching to get our students into university and the 100% acceptance rate our school has? Do we follow curriculum documents? Or do something that reminds you of how you were taught? I’m sure many of us reading this teaches with differentiation, focuses on the emotional and social needs of their students and tries to be innovative. Even with this, I’m sure all of us hit the wall sometimes hoping to do more, be different and innovate our thinking because we are a part of a larger institution that is stuck in the past.
We talked a lot yesterday about the sphere of influence. It is not the year to change the whole system (insert the wish for a November break traded for fewer days of summer). That’s beyond most, if not all of our spheres. Instead, thinking smaller is easier. Maybe a personal day to focus on creating changes in my own classroom is a better plan to start. This makes sense why #Cohort21 is focused on making a small change on route to more significant changes.
School should be about connecting, sharing ideas, and being innovative. That word again.
Where does this leave me? I left yesterday with lots of ideas and a feeling that many people had a path they were interested in taking on before January. Yesterday highlighted a few things about me. 1. I like collaborating and brainstorming with others. 2. I don’t like committing to one idea. 3. I’m not sure what path I want to take. I attempted to see what others might say by putting a few working ideas on the wall during our lunch. The responses were disappointing. Mostly I came back with feedback that felt obvious and with no better answer. So here I go. I’m going to try to reach out here (if you’re still reading, thank you). Between this and some #cohortandcoffee, I’m sure I’ll have an answer soon enough.
Idea #1: Helping students rethink assessment – helping them use feedback for growth and change the way we assess. This came from hearing so many students get annoyed by an assessment as or for learning (“Why should I do this if it doesn’t count?”). Then so many only care about the mark. To so many of them, anything below 90% is unacceptable. I wonder then how I can support student growth, design thinking and learning beyond the mark at the end of a unit? I always give feedback, have students set goals and co-assess with students. As I’m at a new school, my approach is new to my students. I wonder how I can help them and transform my rubrics (as I find there is so much more when it’s not as prescribed at the IB).
Idea #2: How can I change/transform the way we communicate and create community at my school? This is a project I’m planning at school and I wonder if I should overlap and pool resources between school and C21. I’m hoping to help further build community at my school through helping guide the students in rethinking assemblies and how we share information and inform each other. I see assemblies as a time to celebrate and engage, not just share messages. How can I help make things more fun and engaging? I question making this my Cohort goals as I’d love it to be more authentic and internally led.
Idea #3 Technically, this was idea #1. Since I’ve had this idea, I’ve wondered if it matches the process and thinking we’ve done over the last two F2F. I was thinking about the collaboration and brainstorming pieces that I like in my role and our meetings. I thought it would be interesting to explore my two favourite things reading and exploring how to be a better teacher. I asked a few people and head many would be interested in getting new ideas. I read so many interesting books filled with great ideas but then what!? I’d love the chance to share book ideas and resources and open up the opportunity to chat with others. Explore ideas and insights, synthesize them, and engage with others to put them into practice. Would you be interested in something like this?
If you’ve made it to the end… let me know your thoughts, suggestions or ideas. Let’s see how conversations go here. @jmedved @gnichols @gvogt @ljensen @acampbellrogers @mgardnerross @ashaikh
@jroberts This is AWESOME!!! @acampbellrogers and I were talking about the very same thing and I know she will want to weigh in here.
To your first question and insight (which is a great one BTW) is the extent to which we want everyone to experience the core elements of the DT cycle and leave with a plan. YES! we want everyone to use the room to discuss/wrestle with their ideas but we also want to build in thinking time to go deep with your own ideas.
So you will be happy to know that our 3rd face to face is optimized for discussion and we will re-group you with cohort members with similar action plans.
But in the mean time this blog IS where you want to park these ideas/questions/insights and we are eager to respond to them. This is exactly how this community gets better.
And I love cookies! @ckirsh @egelleny
@gvogt @ashaikh @mneale @acampbellrogers
@gnichols @edaigle
@acampbellrogers I’d love to chat with you more, especially if we’re on the same wavelength. Thanks for the weigh-in @jmedved. I’m glad to hear more discussion, and a bit less writing is in the plans for our F2F#3. That’s what I love most about C21.
Who doesn’t love cookies!?
BTW – @jroberts the images you linked to don’t seem to enjoy being linked to ?? 🙁
How strange. I see them okay. Odd!
@jroberts,
What can I say. Ideas are my bread and butter. Choosing one, however, can be daunting. There are many commonalities between what you are challenged by in your teaching and learning area, and what others are struggling with as well.
Idea #1: Meaningful Feedback
Sandra Herbst said something at a PD a few years back which has stuck with me. She said to always remember, “we value what we evaluate”. In other words, if you want the process or the reflection of a project to have meaning for a student, they need to know how important it is to you, that it is a major part of the assessment.
I’m more of a hybrid apologist when it comes to marks vs markless. I believe there is a middle ground to be had. At my school we give a mark for observations and conversations. That marks is not always shared with students but they know and understand that basically everything they do in the classroom and with the subject material is potential assessment material. You can use level qualifiers for small formative stuff, and perhaps numbers or points for larger stuff. I think it is quite impossible for anyone to expect students to completely become intrinsically motivated. There motivations for doing things are vast and complicated and tied into a whole range of social-emotional reasons well beyond the walls of school. And changing North American culture is waaaaaay out of anyone’s sphere of influence.
I believe there is a still a ton of innovation to be had on the type of feedback we give. It needs to be timely and it needs to specifically address the gap in their skill development. In other words, I would like to move beyond just diagnosing my students and actually give them some personalized pointers on how to improve. Without it taking forever. Perhaps there is an app.
Your other ideas sound wonderfully like community building at your school. All you need to do is try something and see who comes. Have a teacher book club, a lunch n’ learn. Community will gravitate towards something that feels spirited and necessary. “If you build it, they will come” (Field of Dreams)
Good luck!
Thank you for taking both the time to read and to respond @edaigle. You post some great points and suggestions that will help me think and dive further into my own adventure and direction.
Jody, you may have noticed that I felt the say way about F2F2. What most resonates with me out of your three ideas is Idea #3. It sounds like a book study and I have been a part of one before. Depending on the timing and which book was chosen I would absolutely be interested. How would we go about starting this up and continuing the conversation? Google Hangouts? Thanks!
Thank you for taking the time to read and respond @lfarooq. I’m glad you’re interested in my one idea. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do as I am in 3 book clubs that are fun but not quite as useful as I’d imagine this would be.
I’m debating the format to share the summary then imagine that a hangout or something digital like that to be an option. Even in person one day if possible! I’ll keep you posted!
Whoa! I don’t even know where to start! Lots of good ideas here @jroberts! I am right there with you on the ‘innovation’ page … deconstructing that word an seeing the potential for how we might engage with a culture of innovation is what I plan to work with over the next few months.
I love that you have so many questions at this juncture – that is exactly where you should be. Don’t rush to narrow it down just yet – polling others and engaging in conversations is the most delicious part of the journey – and Cohort21 is that time – the time you have always wanted to explore the ideas that are just on the edge of your daily tasks. So take it and enjoy these convos (online and off) … I have a hunch the path is bright wherever it leads you. Personally, I love your question #2 – how do we create community … this concept is rapidly evolving (as this very Cohort model demonstrates). I think it is more important than ever to foster healthy community of learning and being together – and this can even overlap with the concept of innovation as you have defined it here. Around your first questions of assessment, @apetrolito
@jroberts. Your post really made me think about how we can sometimes overuse or misuse the word “innovation”. Amazingly, it is simple to innovate by trying new things to see what works. I was hoping to try and see what sort of feedback I could provide to help you with your questions. Frankly, I got stuck on the question “What is the purpose of school?”
I’ve always asked this question, especially when I run into something I can’t do in day to day life, like sewing. I often wonder why I didn’t learn this in school. It is easy to be pessimistic and ask what is the point of an activity, but my students provided the answer to this question last week during reporting.
I had a group come together and provide me with this though: “The whole point of school is to teach you how to learn”. Some people are successful after school because they are able to learn, others are not because they have a tough time. In my mind this can help you with both questions 2 & 3. As @acampbell-rogers says, question #2 is quite interesting. Teaching how to learn, falls into community building!
Thanks for the response, Andrew! I love how you mentioned sewing. I dream of designing a “Home-Ec for the 21st Century” course. Imagine teaching all of our students about sewing, changing a tire, cooking basic meals, understanding leases, doing taxes and other preparations they need to be successful adults come university and beyond. It would be so useful. I had one former colleague who agreed that learning driving and bicycle safety basics might also be valuable. So many possibilities!
I think I’m going to delve into #3. More to come on that. The other two options I think I’ll explore at school but I like the Cohort time being about bigger things.
Well done Jody, and to @acampbellrogers @jmedved @edaigle and @lfarooq for jumping on all these ideas. Jody, with regards to #3 I think that it is a great idea. I wonder how you will ensure that this book club is useful to you and drives towards what it is that you are after. Will it be held at your school F2F or virtual or a combination of both.
Brene Brown’s new book “Dare to Lead” is a great example of people taking it up in small groups F2F and then tuning in to hear their questions answered by her via online webcast. That would be something cool to consider. I’d tune in for sure!
Thanks for this post!
Garth.
Jody, I know that I am late to the party here, but I just wanted to say that that feeling of not wanting to limit yourself to just ONE idea to engage with in this process is a really normal and GOOD problem to have. You are lucky, actually.
I would just say that in my many years of Cohort-ery is that this is just the start of you being able to dig in and explore big questions in your practice. Whatever you don’t get to explore this year, will still be relevant next year and the year after that.
Sometimes I personally find that my insatiable appetite for understanding in the world of education can paralyze me and not let me actually do anything. My mission is to just try to be 1% better than I was last month or even last semester. Hopefully by the end of my career, those 1% jumps will add up to something great.
Also, totally suggest popping into the next Twitter chat (Jan 8th 8:30pm). It’s a more informal space to ask questions in real time and have some meaningful dialogue about our action plans, questions, and musings.