Powerful Learning, Powerful Leadership (Part 2)

Extrinsic vs Intrinsic Motivation

According to the video with Dan Pink, Extrinsic motivation can be a hindrance to creativity. The video is good, but the other day I had a conversation with a friend about this topic. I was complaining about how my students lack intrinsic motivation and my friend Ryan told me that intrinsic motivation does not exist (R. Wellhoefer, personal communication, October 16, 2019). He is a licensed professional counselor. He boiled it to that everyone is motivated by different things and the behavior we give is shaped by extrinsic factors. I linked a OSU study at the bottom which gives more details about this. Pink did give a great example about Wikipedia beating out Encarta, but many of us remember how unreliable old Wikipedia use to be with anyone able to edit it. Example: When Stephen Colbert constantly had his fans changed Wikipedia to mess with the site. Now people are motivated by different things and as a technology leader, we need to leverage the students who want to explore technology. We want to share technology in the education system, no matter the source of the motivation.

Free time

Outside the debate if intrinsic motivation is real, free time being a catalyst for creativity is truly real. Pink described how the Australian company and Google give free time to their employees which produced new ways of solving issues at work. Applying this with students can lead to two things. Since the kids are required to be at school by law, if you give them the option to do whatever they want, some will go out and get high or just have sex. Some students will use that time to broaden their horizons. The reason why this free time works with employees is because they are hired for a job. Google still fires people. As a technology coach I would push to give teachers more planning time. At first this time would be used just for planning, but this would give them more free time in the long run. At my previous school I had two planning periods. I was a lot more adventurous with trying new technology in the classroom because I had the time to create and explore new topics and apps. If we give our staff the time, educators can be more creative in their lessons which will lead to better classrooms as a whole. We must keep in mind that less is more as Couros states in his book. Sometimes too much choice can be overwhelming. But that freedom to explore is important and allows for creativity to stir in the minds of our educators. Less is more can be applied to students also. They need to learn the basics and giving students too many options can be overwhelming for them also.

Examples: 

• If you give a menu of items for students to create, give them a few choices instead of a lot. Just like restaurants, the smaller the menu the better the product tends to be.
• Give teachers free time and some new technology to explore, but don't throw the entire web 2.0 at them at once. Exploration and time is the key, with some good tutorials and lessons on how things work.

References

Couros, G. (2015). The innovator’s mindset: empower learning, unleash talent, and lead a culture of creativity. San Diego, CA: Dave Burgess Consulting.

Ohio State University. (2005, May 8). Intrinsic Motivation Doesn't Exist, Researcher Says. Retrieved October 19, 2019, from https://news.osu.edu/intrinsic-motivation-doesnt-exist-researcher-says/.

Pink, D. [TED]. (2009, August 25). The puzzle of motivation | Dan Pink [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrkrvAUbU9Y

6.2 Powerful Learning, Powerful Leadership, Part 1

6.2 Powerful Learning, Powerful Leadership, Part 1

1. How have you modeled and explored new opportunities for learning during your practicum?  Provide examples. 

At this point of the school year, I have struggled to be a model for a technology facilitator and maintain being a classroom teacher. I been posting on Twitter some of the activities I do in the classroom, but none of the other teachers on the team wish to try these tech activities. In their defense, we get so little time to plan that they don't get a chance to have the activities explained to them. I can barely planned my lessons more than a week out, sometimes just two days now. One example I can use for modeling, the other day I was reviewing with my students using Gimkit, and a learning walk came into my room. A learning walk is a time where other teachers can come in and see what is going on in others classroom. The teachers were amazed at the review game and they all sat down to watch other students work the game. They even asked me to show them what I can see on the teacher side of the program. I have been posting the activities I do in class to the classroom Twitter, so others can see how the students use technology to shift the way they can learn.

1. Provide an example of ways in which you provide informational learning, exploration, and "play" with new technologies in your practicum. 

Due to the lack technology provided by the school, I needed to design technology lessons which utilized the BYOD & BYOT policy of the district. I have played around a lot with flipgrid in the classroom this year. After a few trial and errors using a whole slew of different devices and app updates, the students learned to use some functions on the app. The students had to role play either a patriot or a loyalists during the road to revolution, and react to either a British Act or a colonial reaction. Link to flipgrid videos. Since the students knew the basics of how to record, they got a chance to use notes from class to explore the rest of the flipgrid app options, and play with the technology.

1. How are you moving from standardization to personalization within your educational setting? 

After much debate with my team, I got them to agree to having a menu option for a project out of the class so the students can create to show mastery. The district is very much a student assessment and data analyzation machine. The district loves their exams and data from said exams. In order to show that moving away from just testing can still yield results I have been educating kids in digital tools such as flipgrid, canvas, google apps. Once the kids become fluent in these apps use, and they start to perform better than peers who do not use them, I can proof that non exam based assessments are a good way to go. After that step, going for more personalized project-based learning will be the way to proceed. My principal is open to these new ideas, but my mentor and team are hesitant to risk different types of lessons.

Previous year student comic book

 5.2 Your Leadership Style

In order to better analyze my organization's ability to foster and facilitate more technology in the classroom, I completed the Department of Education, Office of Educational Technology’s Personalized Professional Learning for Future Ready Leaders assessment. The following are the results of said assessment.

My leadership style would seem to slightly off compared to what my district prioritizes. The only area which the district and myself share are the importance of the collaborative leadership community. There is a massive push for professional learning communities, PLC, within the district. A well functioning group can truly analyze how student learning is developing and create new engaging lessons for students to consume. The main thing limiting the district in collaborative leadership is the lack of time they give to foster PLCs. Since so little time is given for PLC and planning, teachers struggle to complete all that is required by the school and district in order to be compliant with rules and regulations. 

Personalized Student learning is an area which I constantly reflect on. I have learned a lot in my short time in this new district about student choice and learning strengths. It is interesting to see how students develop when given the choice on what to learn. Many students shine significantly, but quite a few end up under developed in other areas. As Couros said that strengths should be highlighted, but weaknesses should never be ignored (2015, Chapter 8). I see this happening in the district. I am very much a proponent of developing all skills for a more well rounded individual, this way students get exposed to many different skills in life, and they just might find something they love which they would never have been exposed to by focusing just on strengths.

Infrastructure is the district's weakest point. Their mission is to develop 21st century learners, but there is no plan in place to integrate technology into the classroom at all. This is where my strength comes in as someone who plans, designs and implements technology into the classroom. I can develop as a leader in this field for the district so students can have better and more reliable access to digital tools in the classroom. This year is all about establishing myself as a technology facilitator who knows what they are doing and have the classroom experience to prove I know how to successfully integrate technology into lessons and students’ lives. I have constantly reserved chrome books to try out new apps, to sad results because of poor internet connections. I have utilized student personal tech to get students to leverage more tech with their learning. I wish to write some grants to bring in my technology into the classroom. Grant writing is an area which needs massive improvement in my books.

Personalized Professional Learning is a double edged sword. Yes it allows educators to play to our strengths, but as human beings we tend to feign away from new and unknown ideas. Choice is important, because it gives us validation that we are in control of our lives. It has taken me years to realize that when given the time, I pick my strengths, but that limited me in many fields. Forcing myself to develop new areas of skills has expanded my horizons significantly. There are many educators who won’t develop a skill unless told to do so. A measure of choice and requirement in my opinion is important to a fantastic professional learning experience.

References

Couros, G. (2015). The Innovator's Mindset: empower learning, unleash talent, and lead a culture of creativity. San Diego, CA: Dave Burgess Consulting, Inc.

Relationships in all dimensions.

Dancing Guy and Relationships

The first follower is the most important one! I so loved this video and shared it with my team at work. Sometimes I feel like the shirtless guy who is the lone nut, but most days I see myself as the first follower. I go around and find those with new ideas who are looking for others to test them, or have at least posted their ideas online. I am looking for anything which will help my students and make my life as an educator easier. Before I go into building relationships at work I want to point out that in the field of education we push for strong work relationships a lot. Many people spend so much time building strong relationships with co-workers and students they sacrifice their own families relationships in the process. The teaching field has one of the highest level of infidelities out of most professional jobs. If we as educators are to model how to be in the community, we must remember to take care of our families first, others we model to others that cheating on ones spouse and ignoring your own children are normal.

How are you building relationships with individuals in your practicum school, district, and classroom? 

Currently at work I am getting to know my new team and staff. I have become known as the tech guru on my floor and I get a constant stream of teachers asking to get stuff fixed up in their classrooms. I have already started using the technology I can in my classroom and checking out tech whenever I can. I have started building a good rapport with the librarian who is into tech app himself, and I am constantly bouncing ideas off of him. I been having conversations with my mentor constantly figuring out ways to integrate technology into different lessons.

How are you developing your identity as a technology leader/facilitator? 

This has been super difficult. There is so little time to do anything. Almost my entire team is new to the school, so there was no planning done over the summer. This means not a single assessment is planned for the school year, there is no calendar in place. Everything is being done during school hours. Luckily I have a lot of resources I have used in the past at my disposal to fall back on, but no time to tweak them. Almost all changes to lessons come from anything I read or study in my graduate classes. This goes back to my opening statement. When the kids leave, I leave and spend time with my family. I hope to get some time to start pushing my technology facilitator, but first I gotta make sure my students and my family's needs are meet.

Give an example of how you have started to empower others to be risk-takers? 

My observation teacher is a good example of empowering others to take risk. She is open to technology but needs somewhere to step first. I have found people are willing to take that first step if you show them how to make it. Give them a lesson, a planned out one, using technology. This will allow them to see how it work and the results of it. This will lead to them wanting to try more technology and be more of a risk taker. One of the members of my team is new to teaching 8th grade social studies. I share him all of my lessons, and he keeps asking for more and more. Some are technology lessons and others are just student centered. He as already approached me about some ideas using some apps I used for a different lesson in the future.

Risk taking is risky, as the name implies. Another reason many teachers avoid the risk is because of the pay check. In the state of Texas, schools can decide not to rehire you for almost any reason. Texas is not a state which protects teacher jobs. At the end of the day if a teacher decides not to take a risk because of the fear of losing a contract next year, I will not fault them for that. Taking care of your family is the number one priority. 

What does a technology facilitator look like?

Innovation defined by Couros is the thought processes of the improvement of something or the creation of something new that is useful (2015). It is pushing the envelope and trying to make things both easier, more efficient and productive. Innovators are never content with what is, but instead strive to improve on what exists, or create which needs to be created. Innovation is not transformation and not a series of different choices. It is the mindset of asking ourselves, what is best for the learner. We must go back to the roots of American education and constantly reflect on the purpose of it. Horace Mann said it best as “Education…beyond all other devices of human origin, is a great equalizer of conditions of men.. the balance wheel of the social machinery… It does better than to disarm the por of their hostility toward the rich; it prevents being poor.” A technology facilitator innovates and helps fellow teachers use those new innovations in the classroom. The facilitator looks at what is available and creates uses that will help teachers become more productive and help students become true 21^st century learners.

My image more balances the type of roles some Technology Facilitators take in their jobs. Most tend to be more like tech support who rarely move outside their own bubble and wait for others to innovate. A true technology facilitator should push the envelope and seek out the untested and innovative. They can also be the innovator themselves, assuming they have the creative potential to do so.

Reference:
Couros, G. (2015). The Innovator's Mindset. [Kindle DX version]. Retrieved from Amazon.com

Guten Tag all! My name is Samuel Montgomery. This is my 8th year in education and 7th year teaching middle school social studies. I find that technology can be used to bring history to life. I recently moved to a new side of Houston, and have a new school to work at. Sadly the school lacks technology access, but I will find a way to get some technology in the classroom. I have read tons of research on teaching and facilitating styles from multiple countries, and I have created a very unique approach on how I work in the classroom with my students. We need to prepare our students for tomorrow. Showing students how to be successful and allowing them to push themselves to high standards is important for success in the post school world. This German quote fits life well.

Aller Anfang ist schwer.

“All beginnings are hard.”