The desire to improve the work that I do for the sake of reaching the needs of students, teaching a concept or skill better, knowing more about a topic, or saving time always seems to surface. As I continue to interact with different teachers from throughout the building, I'm amazed by the constant innovation that I see. Teachers are solving problems with creative solutions. I also see MASH teachers asking their students to solve problems, practice skills and find their own realizations to real-life situations. What I see the most is innovative planning. We naturally reflect in our profession. How can we (and the students) do this in a more efficient way? I am also guilty for forgetting to act on my reflection to improve. I try to make notes in my lesson plans for next time.
There is great value in sharing "fresh" ideas because innovation is also a cross pollination of ideas. Techniques and thoughts from our colleagues can only make us better.
Watch Ben Motter in our series of staff Show & Tell Flipgrid videos. In addition to sharing some helpful resources to try out, observe his innovative way of thinking. Even though I may not try out that particular app right now, I am encouraged by his use of existing resources such as a doc camera and his desire to save time with entering grades manually into Sapphire. I am also inspired by how a few changes meant to save him time, liberated more time for Ben to spend with helping his students grow (and spend more time with his own family). What's your takeaway from this video? How can we spend more time helping our students grow and less time on the things that take us away from that goal?
View another example from the 9th grade Earth Science team. Showcased in this Show & Tell Flipgrid video is not just an extraordinary piece of technology used to help students investigate the world, but there is evidence of a collective innovation mindset. Our colleagues are allowing students to use tools that help collect data, which in turn, empowers learners to make meaning from their experience. These labs allow concepts and skills to become a reality for students. What's your takeaway from this video? Are primary and secondary sources including interviews, historical documents, and Skype sessions (like the ones mentioned in Tricia's video) a way for our courses to help students apply their understandings?
As we continue to enhance our curriculum, I wonder how we can "cross pollinate" our subject areas? To what extent do our students learn in departmental silos?
I appreciate these cross-curricular "fresh ideas." They make me think about how I can reach my students in more effective ways. I look forward to sharing more examples of innovation found throughout the building. Have an amazing holiday break. Enjoy the freedom!
Action Steps:
Innovation is all around us. Here are some resources to help in developing an innovative way of thinking:
- Chat with a teacher who doesn't teach your same subject or grade level about classroom successes and challenges.
- Chat with a neighbor at home who is not in education. How do they improve their practice?
- MASD Technology Integration Committee Blog - Learn, Create, Connect
- International Society for Technology in Education goals focus on the thinking such as
- ISTE Goal #1: Empowered Learner and Goal #1: Computational Thinker
- Transform Teaching With The Diffusion of Innovation
- 2 Minute Teacher Tech
- Be inspired: Join, participate or simply check out educators on Twitter!
- #EdChat
- Find your subject area! The Complete Guide to Education Hashtags
- #MASHteach ... share what's going on in your classroom and fuel the innovation cycle
- #MASDProud ... celebrate your students
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| Quote from The Principal of Change blog from George Couros |
Thanks for sharing all these great innovations happening at MASH, Joe! I love the constant focus on what's best for our students and how we can innovate and problem-solve to come up with learning experiences that challenge our students to become innovators themselves.
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