Main Ideas: Chapters 13 and 14

Part IV: Concluding Thoughts

Chapter 13: Are We There Yet?

The author poses the following questions that foster the implementation of each strategy that he mentions in parts I through III of the book. You can use these questions to think about how you are or will begin to unleash talent in your schools and classrooms.

Unleashing Talent	Driving Question(s)?
Strengths-Based Leadership	Do I know and build upon the strengths of those I serve?
Powerful Learning First, Technology Second	Are we embracing new (and better) opportunities for learning, and making decisions based on supporting these new realities?
Less is More	What are the few purposeful areas that we are focused on? How might we align our resources to support ongoing learning and development in these areas?
Embracing an Open Culture	How do we share openly and regularly to further our own learning and development?
Creating Meaningful Learning Experiences for Educators	Do our professional learning opportunities mirror the learning we want to create for our students?

A Different Type of Assessment

The author stresses how it is important to create evidence of the learning that is happening in our schools. Many schools, tests are the main form of formal assessment to measure this evidence. The author brings up the topic of digital portfolios which he mentions throughout the book citing an example of this that was spearheaded by him in his school division.

There are two main purposes that student and teachers digital portfolios can serve:

          1.       Learning portfolio- shows the individuals growth over time

          2.       Showcase portfolio- highlights the person’s best work

      Besides what the author mentions throughout the book, he lists 4 additional examples of how online portfolios provide a better way to create evidence of and assess learning. 

          1.       A better opportunity to focus on “traditional” literacy.

          2.       The ability to use a wide array of “literacies”.

          3.       The ability to develop an audience.

          4.       Developing a voice.

The author stresses that he is not saying that digital portfolios should be used in place of quantitative data, but rather that numbers are only part of the story. Written and visual examples of learning delivered from the students’ point of view can improve our understanding of where we are and where we need to go.

How Will You Measure Success?

A school’s or a student’s success is not as quantifiable as in the business world. On the one hand we say they want students to be critical thinkers, productive citizens, and responsible decision makers, but then we only measure success by how they perform on a test. We do not celebrate how they have grown and developed the other desired skills and mindsets.

“Aside from academic achievements, the success of a school should not only be measured by what students do when they are in school but also by their impact on the world after they leave the school environment.” (p. 329)

Do you agree with that statement? Do you think this is the true way to measure success?

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Chapter 14: The Biggest Barrier and “Game Changer” to Innovation in Education

There seems to be a battle between the “basics” versus “innovation” in education. However, the author points out that innovation in any area requires a fundamental understanding of basic concepts. The basics are essential in our modern world.

* Technology, information, and people we have access to today must be reflected and capitalized on in the way we learn and the way we teach students the basics.

*Innovation may start with individuals, but we all need all educators to work together and embrace the innovator’s mindset if we are to create something better for our students.

The Biggest Barrier and Game Changer

         The author concludes the book with what he stated at the start of. He repeats that “change is the opportunity to do something amazing”. He reminds us that fear (of change) can make us reluctant, but it doesn’t have to defeat us.

The author acknowledges the challenges we face in school:

*budget restrictions

*policies that don’t make sense

*curricula that are way to static for a world that is constantly changing

However, the author reminds us that we shouldn’t give up or give in to the way things have always been done. We should create something better for our students because we know better. Some people see constraint as a barrier and others see it as an opportunity. As the author points out, it is an opportunity to think inside the box.