Beyond Pockets of Excellence

Justin Reichbit.ly/edtechresearcher

@bjfr

• Why Change?• What Kind of

Change?• What Does

Change Look Like?

• How Do Leaders Support Change?

• Did We Change?

WHY CHANGE?

Underpants Gnome

Theory of Change

iPadTheory of Change

Give iPads

Learning

At the end of a semester, or a year, or four years,

or twelve years,

What do you want students to be able to

do?

WHAT KIND OF CHANGE?

Technical Change vs. Adaptive Change

Does promoting your learning goals require the application of well-established procedures and technical skills? Or does it require a paradigm shift in culture, values and mindset (along with a shift in procedures and technical skills)? 

Ron Heifetz, The Work of Leadership,  http://mowgli.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/laurie-jump-off-balcony-leadership.pdf

NearPod: PowerPoint on Steroids

It’s the hardest work I ever undertaken in my career. We’re trying to effect change in scale, and we have to “play on two playing fields” at once. We’re still being judged by the criteria for “Adequate Yearly Progress” and state accountability standards, while we are holding ourselves to a much higher standard. We have to succeed at both. It’s hard work, but it’s the right work to be doing.- Jim Merrill, Superintendent of Virginia Beach Public Schools (in Wagner, Global Achievement Gap)

WHAT DOES CHANGE LOOK LIKE?

Cycle of Experiment and Experience

Fear - Growth+

Institutional Capacity+

Experiment

Review (Experience)Plan

WHAT DO SCHOOL LEADERS DO TO SUPPORT CHANGE

Be the Change you Wish to See in the

World

I’m talking to the Man in the Mirror,

I’m asking him to make that

change.

Empower your

teachers as

Edupreneurs

Nurturing Eduprenuers• Provide access to hardware

• Provide time for planning and co-planning

• Provide motivation for experimentation

• Provide protection from the consequences of mistakes and failures

• Celebrating and showcasing successful projects and lessons

Using Data to Address Instruction

Further Reading: Data Wise and Data Wise in Action

What does awesome look

like?