Category: Thought Leaders

Learning has ALWAYS been personal. Even when we were sitting in lecture halls with hundreds of others, whatever learning we took out of the experience was personal. We either owned it, or we didn’t.

Governmental insistence over the last several decades, through standardization and accountability measures, implies that learning occurs en masse. It does not, and it never has. We either own it, or we don’t — it’s personal. The tricky part has always been on how best to assess that learning in some meaningful and relevant way.

Recent developments related to the robustness of artificial intelligence (AI) cuts to this very issue. AI accelerates the difficulty in assessing whether or not learning has occurred, and to what degree. AI provides those with a nefarious bent a plethora of options by which to cheat assessment systems (which have always had some rather glaring deficiencies).

As with all other technological developments in the evolution of humans — from the wheel to plows to email to AI — we’ll have to figure out how best to use the tool for general good.

In the case of AI, it looks like we may also have to figure out how to keep it from using us…

*If you’d like to read more of nc’s blatherings, go to nc’s Recursive Learning. 

Research indicates that one of the most powerful “attractors,” and most persistent “repellants,” in our workplaces is the quality and behavior of the folks leading the organization.

Here’s a wish list (what we’d like Santa to bring us) for organizational leaders to consider:

• Show a little energy and enthusiasm. We know your job is hard, but………..so is ours.
• Hand out “thanks” and praise a little more generously. It’s like a stimulant (but legal).
• Engage with us, talk to (not at) us, provide evidence that you’re noticing.
• Celebrate and suffer with us a little more freely. Make us feel like you really care, and that we’re teammates with you.
• Keep reminding us of where we’re going, and WHY we’re going there. Knowing the direction makes all the difference in the world in how we approach the journey.
• Provide us with some consistent feedback, benchmarking, and guideposting. It helps to know how “we’re doing” (gently, of course).

And, Merry Christmas to you, too.

*If you’d like to read more of nc’s blatherings, go to nc’s Recursive Learning.

Folks who are interested in continuous improvement — the purposeful pursuit of betterment — are really in the business of transformation.

Transformational shifts occur when we learn to optimize the alignment of our Ways of Thinking, our Ways of Behaving, and our Ways of Symbolizing to our Vision — what we have decided to be and where we have decided we want to go.

Here are a few things that DO NOT translate into transformation…

• Confusing…Words are not outcomes. Teaching does not automatically mean learning happens. Talking does not mean listening occurred. Sharing of data means nothing without subsequent and consequential action around that data. Information matters only when it is followed by meaningful changes in Ways of Thinking, Ways of Behaving, and Ways of Symbolizing.
• Coercing…Attempting to force Ways of Thinking, Ways of Behaving, and Ways of Symbolizing on others through brute force is a failure in understanding history or human psychology. Others have a million ways to “dissent,” both in overt and covert ways (and they will/do). Substantive change is a change of “habits,” which requires constant attention, revision, and recommitments. Changes in habit stick only when they are intrinsically embraced. Everyone is a volunteer, and should be treated as such.
• Confounding…Structural changes don’t automatically translate into behavioral changes. New paint looks and smells great, but does not change the viewpoint and output of the organization. Reorgs can be helpful, but are inconsequential unless they impact Ways of Thinking, Ways of Behaving, and Ways of Symbolizing.

TRANSFORMATION requires tenacious, attentive, persistent work.

It starts with the leadership. Knowing what strategies will help is a good first step.

Knowing what NOT to do, or assume, is just as important.

*If you’d like to read more of nc’s blatherings, go to nc’s Recursive Learning.

I recently read A Leader’s Guide to Excellence in Every Classroom: Creating Support Systems for Teacher Success by John R. Wink (2017).

JRW does an excellent job of providing a comprehensive framework to ensure optimal learning for ALL students.

My top takeaways:

• Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs can be matched to Wink’s Hierarchy of Student Excellence, from a teacher efficacy perspective. A brilliant analogy.
• A 3-Tiered Excellence-in-Learning Support System includes: 1) Schoolwide supports, 2) Teacher team supports, and 3) Individualized supports.
• Principals should focus on hiring the best applicants, then surround them with systems that guarantee every teacher’s success.
• CHAMPS intervention technique = Conversation + Help + Activity + Movement + Participation + Success.
• Organized classroom management results in smooth routines, minimal loss of instructional time, and high levels of student involvement and ownership of procedures.
• 4 Components of Gradual Release of Learning Responsibility: 1) Focus lesson – “Teacher does it”, 2) Guided learning – “Teacher and students do it together”, 3) Collaborative learning – “Students do it together”, and 4) Independent learning – “Students do it alone”.
• Rigor = thoughtful work + high-quality learning intentions + high-level questioning + academic discussion.
• Three important levels of teacher-questions: 1) Scaffolding questions, 2) On-level questions, and 3) Extension questions.

My favorite quotes:

“An excellent school doesn’t leave excellence to chance.” (p. 9)

“Excellent schools mine for expertise in every person within the organization, and when they find expertise, they empower the expert, whoever it may be, to lead peers toward excellence.” (p. 8)

“Building relationships is the biggest investment a teacher can make in a student’s learning, and in a classroom of excellence, successfully building relationships is not the goal but the constant.” (p. 75)

I highly recommend this book. It is a superb resource for team study by school leadership and/or instructional teams.

*If you’d like to read more of nc’s blatherings, go to nc’s Recursive Learning.

There are two big drivers in our personal learning journeys: 1) Process, and 2) Outcomes.

The Learning Processes entail things like:

• The content we consume — the knowledge, skills, ways of thinking, and ways of behaving
• The pace at which we learn it — the speed, which can be slow and steady, or it can be on steroids
• The products we generate — the papers, artifacts, exams, demonstrations, change of practice, sharpening of skills
• The environment(s) of learning — reading or writing alone at our desk, making observations while walking in the park, dialoguing with other learners, experimenting in the “lab,” sitting in a lecture hall with hundreds of others, sense-making in our dreams, …
• The collaborators of learning — the gurus, Yodas, partners, and teammates that learn alongside us

The Learning Outcomes are the fruit of the Process:

• Changing the way we think or behave
• Doing things we couldn’t do before
• Sharpening our ability to do things better than we could do them before
• Failures which serve to accelerate more learning
• Seeing farther, thinking more deeply, questioning more astutely

Just like the fruit we find in nature, they serve as both evidence of success and regenerative seed for the future. Think of it as recursive.

The smartest and most capable people I know deliberately up their Learning game, day in and day out. They don’t view Learning as something they “have to do,” but rather, it’s something they “get to do.”

Maybe that’s why they’re so smart and capable.

*If you’d like to read more of nc’s blathering, go to nc’s Recursive Learning.

Achieving continuous improvement in organizations is a tough slog.

The efforts of each individual or division in the organization certainly helps. The stacking up of those efforts can be thought of as the addends in a mathematical sum.

Looks something like this:
a + b + c + d + e + ….. = Improvement

A more robust approach, however, is to leverage the mathematical concept of products in our efforts to get better. The resulting product is sort of like a sum on steroids.

Looks something like this:

A x B x C x ….. = IMPROVEMENT

If the addends in the sum represent the individual efforts of the organization’s members toward improvement, what do those factors in the product represent? Those are the systems we put in place.

While both sums and products move us in the right direction, it’s our systems that propel us toward improvement in accelerated fashion.

**Next week’s lesson will focus on the debilitating effects of subtraction and division on an organizations efficacy. (Yep, not pretty.)

*If you’d like to read more of nc’s blatherings go to nc’s Recursive Learning. 

If you have been engaging in the virtual learning series hosted by CEN over the past few months featuring Dr. Bill Daggett, you should have heard two common themes:

1. GPT3 (and 4, 5….) will result in a tremendous shift in technology’s impact on education and life in general.
2. Savvy district leaders must strike a balance between stabilizing the education system and innovating processes to address the needs of our students, communities, and the US…not an easy task.

What does Chat.OpenAI (GPT3) say when asked about this challenge?

According to Assistant (2023), stabilizing an organization while also innovating to address internal and external changes can be a challenging task for a leader. Here are some steps that a leader can take to effectively navigate this situation:

• Assess the current situation: It’s important to understand the current state of the organization and identify any areas that need to be stabilized. This might involve gathering data, conducting interviews, or seeking input from employees.
• Develop a plan: Based on the assessment, the leader should develop a plan to address the issues that need to be stabilized. This plan should include specific goals, tasks, and deadlines.
• Communicate the plan: Once the plan is developed, it’s important to clearly communicate it to the rest of the organization. This helps to ensure that everyone is on the same page and working towards the same goals.
• Focus on innovation: While stabilizing the organization, it’s important not to lose sight of the need to innovate. This might involve identifying new opportunities, testing new ideas, or implementing new technologies.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement: Encourage a culture of continuous improvement within the organization. This helps to ensure that the organization is always looking for ways to improve and adapt to changing circumstances.
• Review and revise the plan as needed: As the organization continues to evolve, it may be necessary to review and revise the plan to ensure that it remains relevant and effective.

By following these steps, a leader can effectively stabilize the organization while also fostering innovation and continuous improvement.

For districts engaging in the P-20 System Redesign Work, leaders (superintendents, boards, district and campus administrators) must assess their current situation:  Are you satisfied with what is happening to your students when they graduate?   If your least successful student defined the district’s success rate, is that a standard with which you are happy?  What areas of your current operation must be stabilized?  Staffing?  Academics?  In the business world, this is called a SWOT analysis that focuses on internal strengths and weaknesses and external threats and opportunities.  Based on a SWOT analysis, districts should develop a plan to address areas within their control or mitigate impacts from areas outside of their control.  Annually, CEN works with districts to develop a project plan designed to focus on innovation and stabilization efforts in pursuit of a redesign to a P-20 System.  As the plan is developed and is being implemented, intentional two-way communication is essential.  Communication is as important as other on-going school systems including attendance, grading, and sport schedules!  By focusing on innovation (in the planning, communicating, and implementing of the plan), the opportunities and threats outside of the organization can be strategically (and proactively) addressed rather resulting in a reaction that might not lead to the best outcomes.  A culture of continuous improvement in a P-20 System Redesign comes in the work that is sometimes easily overlooked in importance.   Advisory committees, instructional rounds, age-appropriate research, leadership professional development and culture surveys are examples of important activities leading towards continuous improvement.

A final thought which Chat.OpenAI did not mention…this type of stabilizing and innovating change takes time.  The Rural Redesign Process is a marathon and not a quick sprint.   The long-term nature of the redesign when implemented effectively leads to systemic change. Boards, superintendents, district and campus administrators, teachers, and other stakeholders must keep their focus on the intended and desired outcomes in order to truly do what is best for all students.

The difference in Gurus and Charlatans is more often in the delivery than in the substance. Most of us have a few of those Yoda-type Gurus whose insight is highly sought (and even occasionally heeded).

What often has the effect of fingernails scratching along a chalkboard is advice that is unsolicited. Yet, the Charlatans feel compelled to continue to spew their advice broadly and pervasively.

As one of my mentors is fond of saying, “Everyone has an opinion; I prefer the informed ones.” Amen!

My most highly valued Yoda-types behave in these manners:

• They WAIT for me to ask before offering their wisdom.
• They LISTEN to me before offering their wisdom.
• They READ me and my contexts before offering their wisdom.
• They FRAME their wisdom to me as a menu of options.
• They FORECAST with me the possible outcomes of those choices.
• They DO NOT JUDGE me on the difficult choices I’ve made after seeking their wisdom.

“Thanks” is usually the only pay my Yodas receive from me, yet they give freely and repeatedly. I can’t imagine trying to navigate life and work without them.

Here it is again: THANKS! (They know who they are.)

*If you’d like to read more of nc’s blatherings, go to nc’s Recursive Learning.