Innovation Is Not a One Time Event

I have had a lot of interesting conversations about the notion of “The Innovator’s Mindset“, and this graphic sharing the characteristics (courtesy of Sylvia Duckworth):

Image created by @SylviaDuckworth

One of the things that have to really see is that innovation in school is not about a day, a week, or a class.  Although creating those experiences are great, if you look at these characteristics above, how can we promote them through what we do everyday in school?

Empathetic – Have students write from the perspective of a character and understand how they would communicate within the modern time frame or in their community.

Problem Finders/Problem Solvers – Look at the work of Dan Meyer and others and have students start out by looking for problems in their world, as opposed to simply getting them to solve them from a textbook.

Risk-Takers – How do we get students to try different ways to share their learning through assessments, and as David Jakes would say, take “calculated risks“.

Networked – Have students look at collaboration as something that is both in and out of the classroom, and help them connect with experts locally and globally (and by the way, experts could be other students in the same classroom).

Observant – Taking time to be mindful and noticing what is in the room, helps students to become more aware and create connections to their own learning.

Creators – If students really want to go deep, it is what they create in their classroom where powerful learning really happens.  Will kids learn more about coding if they watch a video about it, or watch a video and then create something because of it?

Resilient – Understanding that learning is about ups and downs, but having students share not only their learning, but the process of learning. Video has made this a lot easier for students to share this process.

Reflection – This is not something we do not do enough in our schools.  Do we take the time to have our students (and ourselves) make connections to their own learning? We often give ideas and then have them collaborate immediately as opposed to gathering their own thoughts. If learning is truly personal, then we need time to internalize (this is why I blog so much). How do we have students make their own connections to learning through the explicit act of reflection?

If you look at these characteristics, and the examples that I have given you, these are things that can be done all of the time, not simply as an event. Being explicit about how we do this will help our students become the thinkers and innovators that our world needs not only for the future, but also today.

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Top 15 Recipes from 2015

I hope you all had an amazing holiday season full of family, friends, and of course – food! I took quite a bit of time off to enjoy the holidays and relax a bit after an insanely busy couple of months. But now I’m back and ready to share some incredible content with you in the new year!

I thought there was no better way to kick off 2016 than with a round up of the most popular recipes from 2015. From No Bake S’more Cheesecakes and Adult Root Beer Floats to Zuppa Toscana soup, there’s something for everyone in this 2015 recipe round up!

My favorite thing about this top 15 list is that they’re YOUR favorites. They’re the most visited, pinned, and shared recipes, and that makes them them extra special!

You all made 2015 extra special for me. I marked a full year at home, running this site and creating new recipes as my full time job, allowing me to stay home with my sweet daughter and wonderful husband (he works from home too). I try not to get to mush, but you guys.. THANK YOU. Thank you for every precious moment I get to spend with these two while I make you delicious treats, instead of sitting in an office 10 miles away for eight hours a day. It means more than I can really put into words.

Happy 2016, friends! Let’s hope that this year is even more amazing than last!

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3 Secrets for Maximizing Moments this New Year

During Christmas break, my brother and I took a long walk behind our parents’ house. He showed me places where they had cleared fields and brush–adding more pasture to the acres where the cattle graze.

Foxfire Photo Source: Wikepedia

As we made our way through sage brush and into openings where green patches of winter fescue grew, he pointed out a line of brush piled up near the clearing.

“You ever seen foxfire?” he asked.

“No, I’ve heard the word but never thought about what it means.”

“Well, when we cleared that area over there, we came across some rotted oak. Inside were patches of fungus that were scattered and crushed when we bulldozed the brush into a pile.”

“Late one night,” he continued, “we saw the ground glowing with bits of green, yellow lights–foxfire is the name used to describe it. Imagine the tail of a firefly–the same color was glowing across the leaves and grass. It was beautiful.”

Looking for Foxfire Moments

During our walk, I thought about other simple but mesmerizing wonders of beauty I had seen hidden in the nooks and crannies of forests or fields: the plumes of green ferns growing in hidden shades near the swampy creek, yellow and reddish mushrooms pushing up in the gravel walkway, the tall spire of a dead tree with ribbons of peeling bark cascading around its trunk…all of these small glimpses of nature’s hidden artwork.

If these small wonders are tucked away in backwood hideaways, how many of us overlook the “firefox” treasures buried inside the thoughts or emotions of others around us?

Sometimes those discoveries may reveal something unpleasant; at other times, something amazing.

As you start a new semester, like me, you’re probably thinking of a lot of practical to-do’s like student schedules, upcoming reports, etc. But coming through the doors of your school are students who not only fill classrooms with busy learning and chatter but also with deposits of undiscovered experiences, ideas, gifts, and questions.

Some of them may never show us the brightness of their best gifts while we have them in our care. But occasionally, we catch glimpses of their creativity or wit that reminds us why we love to be educators.

3 Ways To Capture Moments

So how do we encourage ourselves and our teams to look for the foxfire lights hidden away in those around us? Here are three suggestions:

1. Pay attention to others.
Stephen Covey teaches to “seek first to understand before seeking to be understood”. Here’s a practical application: when someone comes to you with a question, try to give them at least 60 seconds of undivided attention–without looking at your phone, computer, etc. You may surprised how much more quickly you connect with others by simply paying good attention to them. The same applies to walkthroughs, meetings, observations or other exchanges. Give others your full attention so that you understand situations more deeply than what’s just on the surface.

2. Ask deeper questions.
Not every conversation needs to be deep or personal, but sometimes it’s good to ask probing questions. Over break, I asked a friend’s son who is graduating college, “If you could do whatever you wanted at graduation and get paid for it, what would you do?” Although his major was in engineering, his comments included a love for playing music, designing legos and coaching soccer. That one question helped me understand some of his most treasured pastimes.

3. Celebrate the treasures you discover.
When you’re observing teachers or watching students perform, take time to appreciate positive accomplishments by acknowledging what you’ve seen. Whether you send a kudos email, include a note in a newsletter, or Tweet out an “atta-boy”, let people know when you see something worth celebration. For instance, one teacher’s lesson on taxonomies in Biology may be an inspiring idea for other teachers; share the rich moments you’re observing and encourage others to do the same.

Conclusion

Glowing foxfire is rarely seen by the outside world, but wooded walkways are not the only spaces hiding undiscovered treasures. Look for the hidden treasures in your daily experience, ask deeper questions, and celebrate your daily discoveries. When you do, you may discover the day-to-day of school life more mesmerizing than mundane during this new year.

Now It’s Your Turn

Celebrating what’s happening around you reminds others that what they do really matters. Look for great student or school discoveries that you can celebrate this week and this new year.

Posted originally at WilliamDParker.com Copyright 2015 by William D. Parker, Connect through Twitter with handle @williamdp or at http://ift.tt/1j5BB4E Check out Will’s new PMPodcast!

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Persistence & Determination

Calvin Coolidge is credited with saying, “Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.”

As an educational leader I can promise one thing . . . I am persistent and I am determined. In my heart of hearts and soul of souls, in my unchangeable core, I believe that public education is the silver bullet. I believe that public education makes dreams come true; public education stirs imagination and cultivates creativity.

Yes, we are talented and educated – so are the educators at every other public district in the area. Yes, there are some of us with high IQs and exceptional talent. What is going to make us better is our relentless pursuit of excellence. What is going to take us to higher levels is our determination. We won’t back down . . . we won’t accept the status quo. This can’t be about autopilot – this must be about purpose and intentionality.

We will make people uncomfortable – embrace it. We will face obstacles – overcome them. We will have hurdled places in our path – clear them. It’s too important for us to fold to opposition. It’s too important for us to take the path of least resistance. We must be persistent and determined.

 

 

 

 

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Learners Are the Driver

The following image was created by Alberta Education several years ago:

Although it is no longer used, I still find the image to be a very powerful visual for what learning can look like in schools.  The ideas are not necessarily separated from one another, and are all intertwined in some way, which is what learning really looks like. The “3 E’s” (Ethical Citizen, Entrepreneurial Spirit, and Engaged Thinker) are the bigger goals, but they also show what is important to get to those bigger ideas.

I am sure that people can look at this and pick it apart, and create something better (which I actually think is a good thing since we shouldn’t just accept it without the component of critical thinking), but there are two things that are very compelling to me when I look at the above image.

The first thing is that the learner is in the centre of the circle. This is really crucial and it actually intertwines the importance of both innovation and best practice.  The reason I say that is sometimes what we know and have adopted as “best practice” works for many of our students, but sometimes it doesn’t. If the learner is truly in the centre of learning, we will have to sometimes go with what we know, or else create something different for that student (why I advocate for the importance of having “The Innovator’s Mindset“). There has been no time in history where any one thing has worked for all of our students. If it did, we would all be doing it.  In the book, I adapt the well known quote from Michael Fullan, “Learning is the driver, technology is the accelerator”, to “Learners are the driver, and technology is the accelerator.” Learners should be at the centre of what we do.

The second thing that I really love about this graphic is that it focuses on the “basics” of literacy and numeracy as core skills, but goes beyond them as well.  This constant struggle between “the basics” and “innovation” is not realistic, and this graphic sums that up nicely. You need both.  One of my favourite quotes that I have heard from Dr. Yong Zhao was “reading and writing should be the floor, not the ceiling”.  This image focuses on going beyond the basics (while still saying they are extremely crucial), which is what we should want for our students.

I have shared this image with others and I think it is a great conversation piece for staff.  Some things to think about:

1. How are we focusing on the learner at the centre of our decisions?
2. How are we going “beyond” the basics while still ensuring that we are meeting the expectations that we are required to do in our work?
3. What would we change? What would we add? What would we subtract? Why?

Hopefully this can help further some conversations.  What would your questions be?

 

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Yes, I Read a Romance: Between a Vamp and a Hard Place by Jessica Sims

When I was much younger, I read a lot of romances.  This was before vampires, combat warriors, and every paranormal creature around filled the shelves of romance sections in stores and libraries.  My romance reads consisted of cowboys, corporate millionaires, titled gentlemen, and Scottish hotties.  

I received a request to read and review this novel from Simon and Schuster and I thought, why not?  I could do with a fun, otherworldly romance.  I finished it in a few days (a nap and housework kept me from finishing it in one day), and I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed it.  

I don't read many romances nowadays, and I don't have an answer as to why. There are romances for every taste, and I certainly could hand-sell them to customers without much effort.  Ask a few questions, know a few authors, and you can match people with the right romance.  Between a Vamp and a Hard Place is definitely for those who like contemporary, funny, hot romances with a vampire tossed in to make it that much better.  I've talked about my pet peeve of a bad cover, and I have to say this one shows Rand with a clean cut look.  Rand is a 600 year old vampire, and his hair is repeatedly described in the novel as "shaggy".  Let it be shaggy on the cover!!

Anyway.  To the story.  Lindsey and her friend Gemma live in Nebraska and are struggling to build an antique business.  They are super close friends who grew up together in a foster home and only have each other.  Gemma takes a chance and spends all their savings on an opportunity to clear out an old apartment in Venice.  They get first dibs on all the potential antiques.  It could be a disaster, or a money-maker.  They travel to Venice, and begin working through the apartment.  It's a mess.  Filled with boxes and boxes of stuff.  Lindsey spots a picture above a piece of furniture, tries to grab it, and ends up losing it behind the furniture.  Her fumbling around leads to the discovery of a hidden passage behind the wall.  Lindsey and Gemma follow the stairs down a damp passageway, and into a room that is filled with a whole lot of antiques that could potentially save their business.  

And guess what else?  Yep.  A coffin.  Lindsey creeps down at night to see the coffin, and bravely pries open the lid, thinking for sure it's either empty or full of more antiques.  What she finds is Sir Rand FitzWulf.  And of course he's a hottie.  Rand has no idea he's been sleeping for hundreds of years, and has no idea why anyone would stake him. Yes, he was staked.  It doesn't kill a vampire, but puts them into a sleep from which they can't awaken.  Lop off their head, and they're dust.  Remove the stake, and they wake up.  

Lindsey is pretty calm about all of this.  Gemma thinks it's pretty cool.  Rand only knows that he's got the hots for Lindsey, and he must find whomever tried to end his life centuries before.  The Dragon is Rand's mysterious leader, and one evil dude.  Can Rand find him and end it all before The Dragon ends Rand?  

This was a fun, fun, book.  Gemma swears like a sailor, and Lindsey alternates between tough girl and a woman with a serious case of lust.  I've read a few reviews that say Rand is so controlling and manipulative.  Seriously people.  He's a 600 year old vampire, with vampiric powers, and was a warlord living during the crusades. Heck yes he is controlling.  You can't make a 600 year old man act like a modern man.  I found him charming, myself.  There are quite a few sex scenes that use pretty specific language, so you are warned.  If you like your romances with lots of fade-outs, be forewarned this one has none of that.  I had to laugh out loud at the line uttered by Lindsey: "He's a shower, not a grower."  First time I've ever read that in a romance. 

So yes, sometime this year, grab a romance and read it.  Pure utter fun.  I liked the story line, the characters, and the conclusion.  The cover, however, could use a bit of tweaking.  

Thank you to Simon and Schuster for the ARC.  

Rating:  7/10 for a romance full of hotness, a tough yet vulnerable hero, and a feisty heroine.  The cover art, however, doesn't fit the characters.  But don't let that stop you from enjoying the story.

Available in paperback and e-book.

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A Time for Reflection…

So here we are, a week into a brand new year with all of it lying stretched out before us. A clean slate of endless opportunity and promise, just waiting to be brought to life with each new day. I love coming back from the first semester break honestly, because I get to hear all about the holiday adventures, and I get to bask in all the smiles as we gather together again as a community. Students and teachers seem refreshed, and renewed, and excited to begin again, and eager to make this the best year of their lives. There’s a positive energy in the air that is palpable, with everyone eager to start the new year off on the right foot. I wrote a post a couple of years ago that I’d like to highlight again today, as I think it still rings true as we start 2016…here is a piece of that post that I hope will resonate with many of you…maybe for a second time.

 

When people talk about the beginning of a New Year, the conversation inevitably turns to New Year’s Resolutions, and all of the amazing changes that people are going to make in their lives. From quitting smoking, to getting in the best shape of their lives, to spending more time with family, or to being a better correspondent to old friends. We all start the year with super high expectations and a new commitment to a better life. For many people however, these resolutions are empty promises that for whatever reason seem to fade before we finish the climb to spring. So instead, I want to encourage everyone to think about some New Year’s Reflections, and to use the promise of a new year to better yourselves through a focus on the how and why of change, and through a commitment to purpose and meaning.

 

In my opinion, the act of reflection is the most important part of learning and growing as a person. Whether it’s personal or professional reflection, the power of looking back is paramount. Thinking about your actions, your beliefs, your attitudes toward others, your reaction to things that may not have gone your way, or even the way you see yourself, your worth and your value to others and the world……….this  is remarkably profound. Without reflection, the opportunity to discover yourself and your potential is lost. Taking the time to think about how you learn, how you teach, your relationships with students and colleagues, and how you can give every aspect of your life more meaning is a necessary step before you make those concrete resolutions.

 

So with that said, I want to wish you all an amazing 2016, and I truly hope that it’s your best year to date. Make a point this year to continue to learn, and to grow as a person/educator, and to take risks, and to reflect on what’s going well…and what you could be doing better. We’re only one week into the new year…with the endless possibilities stretched out before us…so reflect on the past year, look longingly to the future, and most importantly, live in the present. Our lives are made up of small, simple, day to day choices which make up and affect our lives, so take the time to reflect early and often, and watch your year begin to take shape into something beautiful. A clean slate is a gift for us all so be purposeful about how you bring this year’s portrait to life.

 

Have a wonderful week everyone and remember to be great for our students and good to each other. Here’s to an amazing 2016!

 

Life I am the New Year.

I am an unspoiled page in your book of time.
I am your next chance at the art of living.
I am your opportunity to practice what you have learned about a life of reflection and giving.

All that you sought and didn’t find is hidden in me,
waiting for you to search it out with more determination.
All the good that you tried for and didn’t achieve
is mine to grant when you have fewer conflicting desires.
All that you dreamed but didn’t dare to do, all that you hoped but did not will,
All the faith that you claimed but did not have —
these slumber lightly, waiting to be awakened
by the touch of a strong purpose.

I am your opportunity
to renew your allegiance to a life fulfilled
I am the New Year.

— Author Unknown

 

Quote of the Week….

The unexamined life is not worth living – Socrates

 

Inspiring Videos to Start Your Year – 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwKyauE_l-k

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUOpqd0rQSo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atNiYtCTcPc

 

Interesting Articles About the Power of Reflection –

http://ift.tt/1P38Hjz

http://ift.tt/1SbAVPo

http://ift.tt/1uw9O07

http://ift.tt/1SbAVPp

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