Action Plan
Face 2 Face Sessions

Thinking outside the box?

Written by Kristen Solowey

 COHORT 21

Season 4, Episode 2

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PROLOGUE 

I left the second F2F session from The York School feeling inspired, energized and most of all EXCITED. A rainy, damp, November day was brightened by the conversations that were buzzing around the room. The energy of 45+ CIS Ontario educators was at an all time high (the coffee and cookies definitely helped).

CHAPTER ONE

No need to think outside of the box, simply realize there is no box…

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The Second F2F Session changed my approach when looking at challenges/problems in my classroom…thank you Design Thinking!

Before attending the session, I thought I knew exactly what I wanted to do for my Action Plan (How to use Inquiry Based Learning in the Kindergarten classroom). It was my hope that I would leave the second session with a clear picture of what I was going to do and how it would play out. However, at the end of the day I left wanting to explore issues that I didn’t know I felt passionate about…

MakerSpace, Tinkering, Genius Hour Student-Led Conferencing are a few of the topics that I was made aware of. (Thank you @timrollwagen @gnichols and @crussell for the great suggestions!)

Taking part in the Design Thinking Process was the spark that I needed to allow me to realize that there were many roads I could take to get me where I wanted to be. It allowed me to see that there isn’t one answer/solution to the problems/challenges that we face in our classrooms, but rather there are many ways to approach the situation.

CHAPTER TWO

The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step…

Self Assessment: How am I doing?

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In order to grow, we need to be honest with ourselves and avoid comparisons. Taking time to assess ones progress is a step forward as it helps you realize what you are doing well and what areas you need to work on.  A big piece of the Cohort is utilizing the tools and resources that we were introduced to (Google Hangouts, Twitter, Diigo and WordPress). Taking a moment to reflect on my comfort level and how much I had used the tools was helpful as it gave me time to reflect and plan for the future. Writing down goals and deadlines is an awesome way to hold yourself accountable. A big shout out to @shelleythomas for the badges. Who doesn’t love a visual reward?

CONCLUSION

Where do I go from here? What are my next steps?

I left the second F2F feeling confident in the day. I learned new things, met knew people and grew as a professional. I left feeling satisfied. Although I don’t have one clear “How might I…” question for my Action Plan, I have multiple.

Before the next F2F session I have a checklist of things that I want to accomplish that I believe will help narrow my thinking.

  1. Take part in a Google Hangout
  2. Connect with @crussell to discuss Student-Led Conferencing
  3. Weekly blogging

 

3 thoughts on “Thinking outside the box?”

  1. Thanks for the shout-out Kristen! Glad to see the process of your learning so eloquently laid out. Your next steps are great as well – I think I also left with about 3 or 4 ‘How might I” questions, so don’t feel like you are the only one. It looks like the student-led conferences have sparked an area to focus on – imagine a co-designed action plan where you could share and reflect with @crussell! Great post. Look forward to hearing about where these next steps take you and your students!

    Tim

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