The single biggest differentiator in organizations that implement successful, sustainable, value-rich innovation is the move from talk to action. Successful organizations DO. This is why I am so excited to join with the Canadian Association of Independent Schools in developing and offering a year-long Strategic Change Accelerator for schools that are ready to take on [...]
Last fall a school in Connecticut reported that they cancelled plans for a new classroom building, realizing that if they just did internal improvements to their existing classrooms they could achieve all of their goals for "deeper learning" physical spaces and save about $6 million. Every school I visit is space challenged: how do we [...]
Jill Gough is one of the best educators I know. She has deep and rich background in the classroom and is a master teacher of others. She routinely converts what others think of as the most formulaic of subjects, math, into an experience of deeper learning. She is both a ground-breaker and a safe space [...]
Yesterday I spoke with an independent school head who emailed me on my views about strategic planning, how I might help, and who else they should reach out to. Here is what I shared: As I have written and spoken about for almost five years, the traditional independent school strategic plan is ineffective for a [...]
My big takeaways from observing the Catlin Gabel middle school J-Week: Fun, energizing engaging, rich, fast-paced, student-centered, real-life. Tiring, maybe a bit too full. An incredible pilot that the school can use to drive a deeper learning model across the division. What is next? Gather feedback from all stakeholders. Synthesize and filter the feedback; find [...]
Prototypes in just one of five 7th grade rooms where prototyping of the future is going on: Overall Theme: "Art in the Future" Active prototypes: The intersection of clothing, fashion and architecture. The art of what the world will look like in map form after a decade of sea level rise. Clothing that reflects war, [...]
In one morning, can students learn about how food is cooked, the value of money, and how to take care of their own basic food needs? This is a start. This morning the 8th graders were given the ingredients and a recipe for how to make dough; the room is a bit of a mess [...]
I have NO idea what is going to happen with a bunch of 6th graders start cold-calling business to solicit donations in support of a refugee family in a couple of hours. Look at the list they kids brainstormed. Will they even get through to a real person? Will that person believe the pitch that [...]
8th graders starting to map out a day on public transportation with no help or advice from teachers. For the next two days I am at Catlin Gabel School in Portland where the middle school is in a pilot week of "re-imagining" school. I set out their agenda for the week in my [...]
If you or your school is re-thinking what learning can look like in the future, I URGE you to follow along as grades 6-8 at Catlin Gabel School pilot a week that they have been co-designing with their students all fall. Follow on Twitter at #Edlabcgs, and, later in the week on my blog as [...]
