Reflecting on Chapter 3: Characteristics of the Innovator's Mindset from The Innovator's Mindset by George Couros

Here are my main take-aways from Chapter 3: 

• Don't let expectations or limitations stop you from being innovative!
• Lead with empathy and meet others where they are and help them find or create solutions that work for them
• There are 8 characteristics that are needed to have an innovator's mindset
• Have empathy
• get to know your kids and find out what they are passionate about
• Learners should be able to not only find the solution, but the problem too
• Take risks-
• try new things and find better ways to teach
• Get networked
• If you blog about what you learn it makes you clarify your thinking
• Learn from others and share what works for you
• Be observant
• pay attention to what's going on around you and let inspiration come
• Be a Creator- 
• "Consider how much deeper learning could be if "creation" was a non-negotiable in the learning for both us and our students." -G. Couros 
• Be resilient-
• When you fail, get back up and keep striving for success.
• Believe in yourself and your ideas.
• Be reflective- 
• Question what works, doesn't work, what needs to change
• Take time each day to think about what you learned and how it impacts your next steps.
• My role as an educator is to "empower students to see themselves as innovators who take responsibility for their own learning and leading." -G. Couros

Looking at the 8 traits above, I am on the right track, but have a little bit of work to do.  I have great relationships with my students, which I am very proud of.  I am also very observant, just ask anyone who knows me.  I soak everything around me in like a sponge, then I try it out in my own classroom as soon as I have a chance.  I am still working on networking more.  I like George's point about blogging giving you an audience to pay more attention to what you are actually writing.  I am excited about learning more from others through Twitter Chats this year and from observing and working with amazing educators at my very own school.  My main area to grow in is to be more reflective on a daily basis.  This is a goal that I am making for myself.  I won't set limits on how I reflect, just that I will.  I can journal about it, blog about it, talk about it with a peer, or when I prepare for another day- just let the reflective process lead the way.  Getting feedback from learners will also play a role in my reflections.  

In response to the questions for discussion:

• What risk might you take to change learning experiences?
• I still need time to process this question.  I think co-teaching this year (for the first time ever) will definitely allow my partner and I to take lots of risks that will change learning experiences.  I will let you know once I try it out.
• How might you create an environment that fosters risk-taking?
• I need to model what I want my learners to do, so I will take risks myself.   Also, I want to teach what it means to have resiliency and grit. I will give my learners opportunities to take risks, but also the support that they'll need if/when they fail.  We will celebrate when they do succeed after their hard work and effort!
• How do you exhibit the innovator's mindset in the learning and work that you do currently?
• Well, this one was an easy one for me! I love to learn new things and how to do what I do in new and better ways.  Then, once I try it out, I share it with as many people as I can so that they and their students can reap the benefits too. I am open-minded and willing to take risks which will help me this year especially with some changes that I'll experience and learn from.

Reflecting on Chapter 2: The Innovator's Mindset from The Innovator's Mindset by George Couros

My main take-aways from Chapter 2 are:

• Having an innovator's mindset is more than just having a growth mindset
• An innovator's mindset is: "the belief that the abilities, intelligence, and talents are developed so that they lead to the creation of new and better ideas."
• Focus on creating something new with our new knowledge.
• Innovation is a way of thinking rather than all the "stuff" that you may or may not have the budget to purchase
• "We need to learn to innovate inside the box."
• Resiliency and grit are important traits to have as an innovator so that you can get back up after a fail and have the courage to try again until you succeed.
• Critical questions for the innovative educator:
• Would I want to be a learner in my own classroom?
• Is this how I like to learn?
• What is best for THIS student?
• education should not occur by a  one-size-fits-all approach
• What is this student's passion?
• Identity Day- to learn about what students love outside of school
• What are some ways we can create a true learning community?
• Everyone in the classroom is a teacher and a learner!
• How did that work for our students?
• reflect and get feedback
• To have an innovator's mindset, you must have empathy for your students.
• How fitting that I am currently reading Unselfie, a book about empathy by Michele Borboa!
• We should be able to look anew at what we do and ask ourselves, "Is there a better way?"

As for the discussion questions at the end of the chapter, I need more time to ponder them.  Especially the question: 

• If you were to start a school from scratch, what would it look like?
• All I can say to this question as of now is I kind of get to live this question out since I have been at Richard J. Lee Elementary since year 1.  I am feeling very inspired while reading this book, and I know that my administration supports innovation at our school.  Great things are going to happen this year! #RJLYear3 #RJLlearns

Reflecting on Chapter 1: What Innovation Is and Isn't from The Innovator's Mindset by George Couros

After reading chapter 1, my main take-aways about innovation are:

• The point of education should be to develop learners and leaders (which can be teachers, students, and administrators)  that will create a better present and future.
• Innovation is: a way of thinking that creates something new and better. 
• Innovation is not really about using digital tools just to use them but rather how we use them.
• The question all educators should ask each and every day is "What is best for this learner?

-All points above are from George Couros

• Technology is a tool, not a learning or leadership outcome! Bill Ferriter & George Couros
• "Change is inevitable. Growth is optional." - John Maxwell

In response to George's questions for discussion:

 

What is an example of a practice that YOU consider to be innovative? How is it new and better than what you had before?

An example of a practice that I consider to be innovative is taking learning about the life cycle of plants outside of the classroom and into the school garden. We can start a garden at the beginning of the school year and chart its growth on blogs, Twitter, and using other tools such as science notebooks. We can share our learning with a large audience that includes the entire school, parents and families, and even the world. Learners would also learn what types of vegetables to plant when, how to compost, how to care for a garden, what tools to use in a garden, when and how to harvest, how to work together, how to learn from a master gardener, how to chart and document their observations, etc. 

It is new and better than what I had before in that it provides an opportunity for kids to learn by doing in an authentic setting rather than solely learning about it in pictures, articles, videos, or books. We would be using our school as a tool! By having learners take charge of the gardening, they will still have to do research about their vegetables and gardening practices, but it will be for the specific purpose of helping them with their own garden. This could be a Challenge Based Learning experience for sure! The skill of knowing how to maintain a garden is something that they can apply in their own lives now and as they grow up.

How can YOU create opportunities for innovation in your leading, teaching, and learning?

I can create opportunities for innovation in my:

• Teaching by allowing learners to take risks in their learning and giving them more opportunities to connect with others around the world. I can continue to provide Challenge Based Learning experiences that allow them to think of ways to make the world a better place and to actually try their solutions out. It will be important for me to always remember and consider how, what, and why I teach specific lessons to that I can ensure authentic learning experiences for my learners.
• Learning by attending or participating in professional development that will inspire me to think of ways to design learning experiences that are new and better for my learners. I want to empower and inspire them to change the world, so I need PD that will do those things for me as well.

What has changed in our world today that not only makes innovation easier to do, but is also necessary for our students?

What has changed in our world today that not only makes innovation easier to do, but is also necessary for our students is utilizing the various resources such as technology and other tools that we have at our fingertips in ways that encourage us to learn, grow, and connect with others near and far to improve the world we live in. It is so much easier now than at any other time to make these connections and have an audience to hear us. There is an abundance of information just waiting to be discovered, shared, and acted upon.

After reading this chapter and reflecting on it, I feel inspired and ready to take on this new school year that approaches so rapidly. I can't wait to see what amazing things my learners will dream up and do! I also can't wait to have inspiring conversations with my co-designers at Lee about this book! #cisdlearns #RJLlearns #RJLYear3 here we come!

If you're a visitor to my blog and are reading this post, what are your thoughts about the learning that I've shared with you about innovation in education?

Blogging Challenge: Try out some technology resources in the classroom

This week I incorporated 3 different technology resources into my science lessons.  

1. I used Padlet for learners to type their main ideas and summaries about a science passage they read about adaptations of a plant that lives in the desert. Having them all submit their summaries here, I am able to see who understands main idea and summary with a quick read/glance.  

It also works the other way around, where they can see what other classmates are putting as their main idea and summary, so it can serve as a scaffold to help them write theirs.

The Padlet-in case you want to read their responses

2. The next technology tool I used was the Explain Everything App on my teacher ipad.  I didn't realize that the kids wouldn't be able to access the app on their 1-1 ipads at the elementary level.  So, they took turns on my ipad {writing/drawing/talking } explaining an aspect of our science menu that I assigned them to discuss/explain.  

Here were the questions they had to somehow represent their answers to. Each student was assigned 1 question and had 15 minutes on the ipad:

Here is what they came up with. Here's a PDF of it as well: (Disclaimer: This is the first time they have used the app before. It was kind of a rough trial run, but I anticipate that now that they've spent a little bit of time on it, they will be more comfortable with it in the future. )

3. The third tech tool I used was Blendspace.  I created a Blendspace that they used to learn a little bit more about adaptations, inherited traits, and learned behaviors.  Once they got through the information, I created a quiz at the end to let me know if they really "got it." They enjoyed navigating throughout the various resources I gave them. 

Above are some of the quiz results.  When they all finish, I can look at the entire class results and see which areas I need to review in either small or large group lessons.

Overall, I think the tool that I am most excited about is Explain Everything because I have never even heard of it, and it does some amazing things.  I highly recommend it.  There are so many ways to use it! I plan to take my ipad home this weekend to practice using it.  Who knows, maybe I'll create something for my kids for next week's lessons!?

Writing Camp

Fourth grade writing camp was last week, and it was a blast!  My favorite thing that we did was sing/rap in the morning.  It got me hyped up about the day full of writing- camping style. I also thoroughly enjoyed the chance to conference with my students 1 on 1 and see some amazing growth.

What is writing camp, you ask? Well, it is 4 days of intensive writing lessons and practice to hone in on specific writing skills that learners need more practice with, as well as time to write an expository and conference about the writing piece EACH DAY. 

We split up the entire 4th grade into 4 groups so that teachers could deliver 1 hour writing lessons to their group each day.  The next day, the group rotated to receive a new lesson from a different teacher.

My lesson was about revising and editing, but there were also lessons covering intros/conclusions, global reasons, and transitions.

Once learners returned to their original homeroom, they were given a STAAR-like prompt (made to mimic a real STAAR prompt). They then went through the entire writing process and conferenced with the teacher to see what they could improve on and what was working well in their piece.

Learners brought sleeping bags, flashlights, comfortable pillows, and even dressed up to a specific theme each day of camp. See graphic below:

Each day we also had a theme snack.

For example: Smores- marshmallows, cinnamon toast
                         crunch and chocolate chips
                         Dirt- gummy worms, oreos, coco puffs
                         Going Fishing- goldfish and pretzels
                         Trail Mix- M&Ms, raisins, cheerios
                         
                         
Ms. Knight created a writing rap, and the lyrics are designed to help learners remember what they need to do in their own writing. Hopefully my learners remember their rap when they are writing their expositories for STAAR.

Here are the lyrics that Ms. Knight in Purple 4 wrote:

Instrumental Chopped Version (use this one)

OO OO AH AH hey hey turn up (x4) (techno beat comes in)

Bet you can't write like me (drum thing in back)

Can't hook the reader like me

Can't topic write like me

Can't add transition words like me

Hey

Bet you can't write like me

Can't write reasons like me

Clarify like me

add examples like me

It's like-

Nope, betcha can't write like me, betcha can't write like me

Nope, betcha can't write like me, betcha can't write like me

Nope, betcha can't write like me, BETCHA CAN’T WRITE LIKE ME!


Ms. Knight also shared a song that 4th grade teachers at Mockingbird Elementary in CISD created to the tune of Do Your Ears Hang Low?



Do Your Ears Hang Low?

Do They Wobble to and Fro?

Can You Tie Them in a Knot?

Can You Tie Them in a Bow?

Can You Throw Them Over Your Shoulder Like a Continental Soldier?

Do Your Ears Hang Low?

Expository Song
(With Gestures)

Does your Expository explain? (hands out to side, palms up)

Is your topic really strong? (make strong muscles)

Do your details add support? (raise the roof)

Do they match? Do they belong? (put hands together 2x- like mixing dough)

Did you use the rule of three? (3 fingers out)

Is your ending interesting? (grab chin like you're thinking)


Does your Expository explain? (hands out to side, palms up)

Things I hope to implement this year...

1. Give my learners more ownership in the class.  One such way would be for them to write the class newsletter and post to my website as a blog post or Smore for parents to see what we've been doing in the content areas. There are other ways I want to do this too.  I'll have to post them as they happen.  Stay tuned... (the pic is of last year's Smore)
   
2. Inspire my learners to fall even more in love with reading by trying out new authors and genres. When I was at my public library this summer, I saw something that I want to try.  There was a shelve of wrapped (yes, in wrapping paper and ribbon) library books with their barcodes taped onto the wrapping paper.  The books had a short, bulleted  description of the book that was just enough to capture your interest and give you a gist of what it was about.  I thought, how cool is that?  
   
   I am doing that! I also plan to model how to make book trailers and recommendations so when learners read a book, they can get their peers interested in reading it by explaining why they loved it so much.  I just need to remember to stress that we shouldn't give away too many details, much less the ending! I'll post more about this once I begin implementing. 
3. Help my learners develop a passion for and improve their writing skills. I'm currently reading a book called Writing Workshop: The Essential Guide by Ralph Fletcher and JoAnn Portalupi. There will be more to come about this topic in a future post. It will definitely change how I teach writing.  I am so excited about it though!
4. Take flipped lessons to the next level.  I already incorporated flipped lessons to some degree last year.  My learners last year were highly capable of navigating the digital material that I gave them in all of the various formats.  This year, I want to continue to work on making class time more application of the content by giving them some flipped aspects to do on their own time.
5. Get out and about using our school as a tool WAY more often that we did last year.  I just can't wait for this crazy August heat to go away so we can get outside more.  It is unbearable right now.
6. Interactive notebooks, and not just in science! I took a training this summer about it and I have already been practicing how to do it over the summer.  It's just not the same.  I need to see it in action with my class.  I can't wait! 
   

There are of course tons of other things I want to do, but I decided to keep this post short and sweet.  The final one that I want to add, unofficially, is to intentionally share what I'm doing through my blog.  I want to have some kind of record, that I created, of my growth and development over the year. I did not do such a great job of this last year, as I was trying to juggle too many things at once.  Blogging will be a priority this year.

Google Classroom

Over the winter break, I set up Google Classroom for each subject in my classroom.  I really want to get away from learners submitting work in paper form as well as me making paper copies for them to use.  I also thing this is a great way for me to monitor students' work status and submission from anywhere (without having to lug a bunch of papers around).

Today was the first day of my learners using Google Classroom, but I think they are VERY excited about it!  They are also really good at navigating the site, since we use technology so much in my classroom.  I can't wait until they start submitting assignments!  I wish I could have had Google Classroom when I was in school.

I love getting to learn, explore, and implement all of these new technology tools that I am exposed to.  Thanks Ms. Knight for showing me this awesome tool!


This is what it looks like (see pics).