Lord Selkirk

The Innovator’s Mindset

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To be honest, I had a really hard time thinking about what I was going to write about for this blog. After our March session with George Couros, I left there feeling frustrated and confused. I guess I was expecting it to be heavily focused on technology in the classroom and it wasn’t. I should have gone in with a different mindset.

So I thought long and hard about what did resonate with me that day and it was the idea of whether or not I would want to be a learner in my own classroom? I thought about that for awhile and I’m happy to say YES! I am very open and honest with my students so they can see me as a learner too. They know that I don’t have all the answers to their questions and that I’m not the best speller in the world but that doesn’t stop me from trying my best and taking risks. I feel that my students have a lot of say as to the learning that goes on in our classroom and that they have a voice. I try and make our classroom as comfortable and inviting as possible with many different types of workspaces around the room for students to use. Everything in our classroom is communal. My students know that they can learn from each other and that they are teachers too!

I feel that what goes on in my classroom is very different from what I grew up with and that if I had the opportunity to be in a classroom like mine, I would have enjoyed school a whole lot more and would have been more successful at it.

 Shayla Solomon

Lord Selkirk School

Cluster 1965

Fear No More

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As much as I have strived for innovation and to foster passion and creativity within the classroom setting, it has always been countered with a bit of caution. You see, when I was in University I took a course entitled “Educator and the Law”, in retrospect it should have been called “How to Get Fired and Sued in Three Easy Steps”. The premise of the class was to look into case files and situations where educators had either been fired, suspended or sued and hopefully we would learn from their mistakes. This class set a tone of fear and a self-preservation in me that has unfortunately has carried forward into my teaching. It was instilled in us over and over to use Social Media as little as possible once we became educators. At no time did they showcase the possibilities of positive relationships, communities and resources it could open up for us.
I was a later addition to the ITLL list and as such didn’t receive George’s book (and still haven’t yet). So despite “Googling” his name and reading a few interviews prior, I didn’t really know what to expect when I walked into Room 106. After my University experience, you can imagine my surprise when I was greeted by an educator and administrator who not only valued the tools of Social Media, but rather encouraged them. The simplistic message of “if you wouldn’t say or display it in your classroom, don’t put it on your Twitter” was revolutionary for me.
That day I set up a Twitter account using my actual name, a first for me since entering the world of education. What resulted was a whirlwind of connections and resources at the touch of a fingertip. I posted a photo of the Steel Pans the students in our school were going to be performing on later that week accompanied by some hashtags that made sense to go with them. Almost instantly the photo was “liked” by a group in the UK, who’s videos I had used initially to introduce the students to the instrument. For the students it felt like we had come full circle, having a group that we respected and learned from appreciating the hard work and dedication that they had put in to learning the skills of the pan.
Innovation is not defined by technology alone and tools are only as good as they are being used, but it was like George Couros gave me the key to a door filled of devices that had previously been locked with the words “do not enter” on it.
Charlotte Cook-Dowsett
Lord Selkirk School
Cluster 1965

Innovation in Small Steps

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My problem is thinking too big.  To the point of being unrealistic in my expectations of what I might accomplish.  That’s a bit frustrating…feeling hugely inspired but at the same time not knowing where to start.  I think one of the reasons that The Innovator’s Mindset resonated with me was that it did inspire me greatly, but also reminded me to find a practical starting point for myself.  So that’s what I did.  Halfway through George Couros’ book I signed up for Twitter.  I started looking at what fellow educators are doing differently.  I decided to redesign the classroom that I get to spend my days in, and enlisted my students’ help.  I asked colleagues for input and received numerous articles via Twitter relating to classroom design.  Together, the students and I made changes that allow for more choice throughout the day, and demands students to take responsibility for their learning.  Not to mention that our room just feels better and more inviting, and the community has been strengthened even more.  I’ve also had a couple of students making stop-motion videos with their own devices (something they are very passionate about).  As well, students have been using our classroom ipad to record themselves presenting projects, and then using the recordings to self-assess their work.  They can re-record as many times as they want before submitting their final product.  When they have all submitted their recorded presentations (it’s taking time!), we will hold a learning celebration and project their recordings onto the SmartBoard.  I’m looking forward to surprising the students with a trailer I am creating using Movie Maker…it will be fun to hype up the celebration!  These have been the small, innovative steps I have made in the past month or so.  Looking back, they don’t seem so small!

Dillon McMahon

Lord Selkirk School

Cluster 1965