The Innovative Incubator
The Soapbox Edition: Let's get personal!
Why the Soapbox?
It's October! Can you believe it? As we begin to draw this quarter to a close, most of us will begin to reflect on what worked and what did not. Did I do at least one thing to change my students' lives forever? Did I know something about them, that no one else knew? Did I do what was expected of me or did I do more? As a Leadership Coach, I do this daily. There are many times that this reflection piece leaves us wanting to do more or less. I want to do more! A teacher asked me the other day about getting out of the classroom. I told them, you have the most power here! You are touching kids daily! You have the power to give the world more than what they have now. You have the power to empower, love, mother to the motherless, and father to the fatherless. You are it! For some from school life to home life, "WE ARE THE BEST THAT THEY HAVE!" Once you leave the classroom, everyone forgets or just doesn't know how great you were as a teacher.
With October being so impactful, we begin this month by appreciating you, school leaders! You are worth it! Just as your staff and students are! With the reflections, that you have, leave behind the challenges and see what the students see. See why they appreciate you. Then do more! Why just stop there? Life is what we make it! #unlockpossibilites and #dreamdifferent
The Individualized Coaching Support Survey
The survey below is what "WE" will continue to use to monitor your incubator status. We will use the results to determine what is the best method of support for your district/organization. Please give your personal reflections as your responses to the survey.
2 - Emerging: Effective Traditional System (Time-Based)/ 1st Order Changes
3 - Sustaining: Effective Implementation of a Blended /Personalized Early College Program/ 2nd Order Change Has Happened
4 - Innovating: Building for replication and continued refinement; leading innovation to increase enrollment and achievement results
Please rate the following questions using the options below:
2 - Emerging: Effective Traditional System (Time-Based)/ 1st Order Changes
3 - Sustaining: Effective Implementation of a Blended /Personalized Early College Program/ 2nd Order Change Has Happened
4 - Innovating: Building for replication and continued refinement; leading innovation to increase enrollment and achievement results
Persons to possibly share the survey with as well:
- Specialist (Accelerated Learner Specialist, Exceptional Children Specialist, & English Language Learner Specialist)
- School Principals & Assistant Principals
- Counselors
- Choose a few teachers in your area to share it with.
- Parents
- Students
- Technology/Blended/Personalized Department
They may not understand all the wording but any feedback is worth it!
Where are we? BLENDED LEARNING
As it relates to PACE (Personalized Achievement, Curriculum Environments) we are finally seeing more teachers in Blended Learning. Blended learning IS NOT Personalized Learning. Blended Learning is more of a 1:1 initiative. It is a great start to getting to PL but we still have some work to do. GCS has decided to use Canvas to help with blending learning. Whether you have used Blackboard, Moodle, Edmodo, or Amplify you have been blending learning for you students. As we move forward with new devices, you will hear me discuss more and more the difference and make sure that we are clear on where we are and where we are going.
Where are going? PERSONALIZED LEARNING
Personalized learning can happen with or without the technology. So just remember as we begin tablet collection, do not get bogged down think what will you do without the technology, THAT IS THE EXCITING PART! WHAT WILL YOU DO WITHOUT THE TECHNOLOGY? Be creative, do the things your students have been waiting on! I had a discuss with a teacher that complained about students not bringing their devices to class charged, I asked what were the other options for instruction? They said "WHAT?" I told them that the technology was never meant to be the sole location for instruction, it's just an option. When someone walks in your class they should see, small groups, the teacher in a group or helping students one-on-one, with maybe a few students using their devices for research or to type of a project. We should also see projects being built, created, and generated. Remember when you were in Jr. High, what did you do? I know when I was there we had Wood Shop, we had Home Economics, we had Career Explorations, etc. I know we do exist like they used to but how can we give them those things in the contents that we teach. GET PUMPED! Let's end this year getting personal with our students. Let's end this year learning and knowing something about our students that no one else knows. Let's put a ring on it, let's get engaged!!!!!
Is each day different for you and your students?
Kid President + Peanuts // Life is like a comic.
PL Giggles
Tuesday Tough Thoughts
Nick Saban breaks down the five choices we all have in life
Resources
The NS4ed Incubator Rubric Pathway
This document is extensive but will guide your personalized coaching pathway. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me if you have questions.
Wenalyn S. Bell Glenn
Email: wenalyn.bellglenn@ns4ed.com
Website: ns4ed.com
Phone: 865.234.1502
Twitter: @anewedu