If you can change the culture of a huge business that has over 124,000 employees, does that mean you can change the culture of schools that in many cases have only a few hundred, or in some cases a few dozen employees? That’s the question Bruce and Will kick around in this the 24th episode
#24: Culture of Change Read More »
The news that Maryland’s biggest school district gave up on its attempt to change the grading scale for its 150K kids shouldn’t shock anyone. But reading between the lines of the Washington Post story that chronicled its retreat back to an A-F format offers up a relevant postmortem on why many changes we try to
The Absolute Best We Can Do For Kids Read More »
It’s been a while since our last podcast, partly by design and partly due to travels to islands during hurricane season. (Smart move.) But regardless, we’re back with our 23rd episode! If you haven’t noticed, we want to push the conversations that we’re having about education to a higher level, and so much of that
#23: Of Hurricanes and Agency Read More »
It’s inspiring, isn’t it, to think that what was once just a whisper is today the voice of the crowd? The voice for change. Seventeen years ago as a new century was launched with fireworks and fresh ideas, a growing number of educators had an optimism for new models of school for the new millennium.
The Rise of the Learning Professional Read More »
“We have to get a lot smarter, faster.” Yeah, thanks for that! Here I was having a nice casual call with my colleague Susan Einhorn, and she pops this comment out. But you know, she’s right. I mean if we’re even vaguely serious when we talk about the explosive growth of information that is now
Making Way for Modern Ideas Read More »
Over the years, I’ve met and had conversations with hundreds (if not thousands) of school leaders. Superintendents, principals, heads of school, CTOs, curriculum directors, department heads…and various other titles and distinctions. I’m always intrigued by the initial interactions I have with them and that first sense that I get of who they are, what they
“What is Good Gets Done” Read More »
“But tell me why I can’t…” “No, no, there is no why. Nothing more will I teach you today.” — Luke Skywalker and Yoda This is a story of two cities. Well, to be honest, it’s about two workshops I ran in two New Zealand cities, Wellington and Auckland. Now let me say from the
Professional Autonomy: Myth or Reality? Read More »
Here’s an interesting question for your next workshop, faculty meeting, or maybe even a dinner party? “Would you rather that your children were literate, numerate, or curious?” Pick one, and why? For many, it’s a tough choice; for most, you want all three. But if you had to choose one, which one would it be?
Literate, Numerate or Curious? Read More »
So, what does work look like for our kids: A career means a string of jobs at different companies. So workers respond in kind, thinking about how to shape their career in a world where you can expect so little from employers. In a society where market rules rule, the only way for an employee
#22: The Quitter Economy Read More »
What is the role of the single teacher in a classroom in a world where millions of potential teachers are now a few keystrokes away on a laptop or phone? To ask that question seriously, you have to buy into the premise of “millions of teachers” (if not billions) being within reach online. You have
From Traditional Teacher to “Modern Learning Advisor” Read More »
After more than forty years learning about learning, I’m intrigued by how much I still need to learn. I mean, from time to time, I’ve had profound insights on the topic, aided by the research and writings of many of the people Will and I often reference in our work, (and in our most recent
Learning About Learning Read More »
Is it now riskier for some people to go to college right out of high school than instead to take some time off, do apprenticeships, or create a unique path to expertise? That’s the question that Seth Godin asked in a recent podcast, and the core of this week’s Modern Learners podcast conversation between Bruce
#21: Is College a Risk? Read More »
“Education consists mainly of what we have unlearned.” ~Mark Twain It’s been over a decade (yes…a decade) since I wrote one of my most commented upon posts ever (ah, those were the days) titled A Steep Unlearning Curve. One of the nice things about having 15+ years of thinking and reflecting archived online is being
The Urgency to Unlearn Read More »
What norms do you have in your school, not just for behavior, but for learning? In most schools, norms exist, but they are not as clearly articulated as these five at Mount Vernon Presbyterian School outside of Atlanta, Ga.: Start with questions Assume the best Fail up Share the well Have fun Those norms form
#20: Brett Jacobsen – Norms for Learning Read More »
During one of our regular Roundtable discussions in Change School this week, one of our school leaders asked a very interesting question. “Given the number of books that have been written and papers that have been presented around school change over more than 50 years by some very well informed and esteemed writers, why has there
Why This Time is Different Read More »
