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Learner-Centered Innovation: Spark Curiosity, Ignite Passion and Unleash Genius
What if education could be better--for students and for educators?
Our changing world demands creative thinkers and collaborative problem solvers, but too often, schools stifle growth and discovery in favor of getting through the curriculum or preparing for "the test." Learning opportunities and teaching methods must evolve to match the ever-changing needs of today's learners.
When we tell kids to complete an assignment, we get compliance. When we empower learners to explore and learn how to make an impact on the world, we inspire problem solvers and innovators. This required change in education involves more than providing training for administrators and teachers to implement new curriculum or programs and resources; it demands that we, as teachers and leaders, create an environment where learners at every level are empowered to take risks in pursuit of learning and growth rather than perfection.
This book is for you if you are wondering . . .
What if learners were valued for their diverse talents and not just our traditional model of "smart"?
What if I could create new and better experiences for those I serve?
What if I could inspire students to learn, to discover their passions, and to share their ideas with the world?
Our changing world demands creative thinkers and collaborative problem solvers, but too often, schools stifle growth and discovery in favor of getting through the curriculum or preparing for "the test." Learning opportunities and teaching methods must evolve to match the ever-changing needs of today's learners.
When we tell kids to complete an assignment, we get compliance. When we empower learners to explore and learn how to make an impact on the world, we inspire problem solvers and innovators. This required change in education involves more than providing training for administrators and teachers to implement new curriculum or programs and resources; it demands that we, as teachers and leaders, create an environment where learners at every level are empowered to take risks in pursuit of learning and growth rather than perfection.
This book is for you if you are wondering . . .
What if learners were valued for their diverse talents and not just our traditional model of "smart"?
What if I could create new and better experiences for those I serve?
What if I could inspire students to learn, to discover their passions, and to share their ideas with the world?
356 pages, Paperback
Published February 6, 2018
89 people are currently reading
209 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
July 18, 2018
How Often Does One Say Amen to a PD Book?
But seriously ... so many times I found myself nodding in agreement. I want an educational world like she describes. I don't see it yet but I'll keep showing up and doing my thing and hoping until it changes.
But seriously ... so many times I found myself nodding in agreement. I want an educational world like she describes. I don't see it yet but I'll keep showing up and doing my thing and hoping until it changes.
July 6, 2018
This is a book we should be reading at NHS to lift us from our recent mediocre blandness. IMHO, teaching and learning and learning about teaching is exciting to say the least. Parts 1 and 3 offer a lot of insight and suggestions that could help us (the teachers) bring back some of our hope. "Teachers make decisions and design learning experiences to meet the needs of those in their classrooms." "Are your systems designed for people to comply and implement your programs and policies, or are your systems designed to empower people to learn, improve, and innovate?" "Nothing is more inspiring than working toward a common goal with people who share your passion and commitment.""Change in education is about creating better ecosystems for learning and innovation, not just better programs and tools." "When teachers and administrators work together to analyze student work samples, assess strengths, and determine next steps, these learning experiences help everyone to continuously improve."
June 26, 2022
It's amazing when you work on something for so long and then you see that same language echoed in the work of others. It's that feeling you get at a show and everyone is singing the lyrics, words you thought you were the only one to understand. You aren't the only one!
~
Foreword by George Couros
If we do not embrace opportunities for challenge, who does that benefit in the long term? If we want to change how students learn, we must change how teachers learn. If we don't prioritize authentic and relevant learning experiences for educators, how can we ensure our students have deeper learning experiences?
The power is in the collective movement of educators who begin to make the changes in their classrooms, schools, and districts.
Creating an environment where learners are empowered to take risks in pursuit of learning and growth rather than perfection is absolutely foundational to shifting educational practices. We must empower teachers to make decisions and design learning experiences that meet their students' needs.
Educators have been far too isolated, and we are plagued by a culture of closed doors. When given the opportunity (and sometimes a gentle nudge), we all benefit by observing peers and reflecting on our own practice.
The schools and districts in which I have seen the most movement have focused first on creating a culture of learning and innovation with shared goal where everyone is encouraged and trusted to try new things to work together toward that goal.
PART 1: THE INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM
Chapter 1: The Evolving Role of the Educator
If we focus only on the answers and not the thinking, questioning, and solving, we rob students (and ourselves) of great learning experiences. Our job is not to provide the answers that can be found in a textbook or in a webpage but to create the conditions that inspire learners to continue to wonder and figure out how to learn and solve problems and seek more questions.
*How We Live, Learn, and Work
If we are to prepare students for jobs that don't yet exist, how can we structure schools and education with a set of resources, curriculum, and ideas that are outdated before the kids learn them? Ultimately, we must ensure students can apply these foundational skills and use their knowledge to communicate, collaborate, and solve meaningful problems.
*Leading Change
Nobody is perfect, and at times we don't measure up, but if we can be authentic and open to learning and growing with those wes serve, we can collectively achieve much more than if we assume we have all the answers.
*A Tale of Three Classrooms
If we only focus on the latest programs, makerspaces, or the devices rather than on creating powerful learning experiences that align with the type of skills and character traits we want students to develop, we will continue to perpetuate the same norms in education with more expensive tools.
*The Evolving Role of the Educator
The power of the teacher comes not from the information she shares but from the opportunities she creates for students to learn how to learn, solve problems, and apply learning in meaningful ways.
*C0-Designers of Powerful Learning
Those who create the work support the work.
*Partners in Learning
Teachers don't have to know everything, but as partners in learning, they can model lifelong learning and empower students to explore their passions and interests while employing valuable skills. More importantly, they can learn to learn rather than solely consume information.
*Community Developer/Connector
Global Read-Aloud
*Activator
Our methods can and should move flexibly from direct teaching to collaborative or facilitative approaches based on the needs of the learners and the desired goals.
*Focus on Learning and Learners
If we want to change how students learn, we have to change how teachers learn. (TEACHERS CREATING AND MAINTAINING EPORTFOLIOS/BLOG.)
Students need teachers to help them make sense of information so that they can create new and better ideas that will move us all forward. As the role of the educator evolves, the human connection and guidance will become increasingly more - not less - important.
Chapter 2: The Innovation Ecosystem
*Stay Focused on Learners and Learning
What if we were obsessively learner focused in schools? We can easily focus on test scores, curriculum, programs, or even technology, but when we stay focused on the learners, all of these tools and measurements become secondary-part of what we do but not WHY we do it.
We can prevent this by looking for ways to create the conditions that empower all learners and inspire leaders rather than demand followers.
*Focus on Why, Not Just What
How do the systems we use serve to develop the skills and mindsets of learners and empower them to find their place in the world?
*Looking Beyond Schools
A big part of embracing new trends is looking beyond schools and partnering with businesses and the community, acknowledging that we don't know it all.
*High-Quality, High-Velocity Decision Making
Part of the challenge with waiting for buy-in and consensus is that people don't always see what is possible.
*Innovation Ecosystem
Everyone works together to learn and improve, and students are part of the decision-making process. All learners have opportunities to build on their strengths and interests and are eager to find and solve problems.
*Learning Experiences
[Goals should include more than higher test scores. What TEKS does the STAAR not measure?]
*The Learner: Developing Knowledge, Skills, and Mindsets
Change in education is about creating better ecosystems for learning and innovation, not just better programs or tools.
Chapter 3: Designing the Culture for Learning and Innovation
*Redefining the School Culture
One in which students gladly shared what they were working on and what they were learning.
Teachers who actively cultivate broader definitions of smart and strive for better opportunities to learn for both themselves and their students have demonstrated dramatic successes with teaching.
*Developing Academic Mindsets that Foster Belonging, Growth, and Innovation
-I belong in this community
-I can succeed at this
-My ability and competence grow with effort
-My work has value to me
*What's Holding You Back?
-Permission
-Protection
-reduction of Policies
-elimination of Perfection
You can't tell people to do something different or simply give them permission without showing them that they are protected and actively work to remove the barriers. You have to intentionally create the culture of learning and innovation every day.
Focusing on continuous growth over perfection in our schools will require deviating from the notion of best practices.
The world is not linier, and the path to success is not a fixed trajectory. Our students will need to learn to navigate diverse and unfamiliar pathways for which no road maps exist, so our best bet is to start equipping them with the tools and dispositions to begin exploring with us by their sides.
Chapter 4: What Does Your Ideal Classroom Look Like
*What's Your Message?
-No Buy-In
-Multiple Visions
-(Lack of) Accountability Focused
*What We Say and What We Do
Doing well on a test is not an end goal.
*What is Your Desired Graduate Profile?
*Create a Common Understanding of Desired Teaching and Learning
Education Reimagined defines the paradigm shift from learners and their critical role in their own learning now and throughout their lives.
When we focus on learners and connect to their interests, needs, and goals, we can create experiences that spark curiosity, ignite passion, and unleash genius. [Ted Talks for TPSP!]
*Agency
What these experiences have continuously taught me is that we can't control the learners and simultaneously expect them to be motivated without opportunities to exert agency in the learning process.
*The Impact of Leadership on Desired Teaching and Learning
Aligning schools with the world we live in is not about replacing existing curriculum and instructional practices with technology. It is about seeking to understand how students learn best. It is about creating better experiences to help drive desired outcomes for all students. The expectations, support, and models teachers experience all impact the culture in schools, which results in diverse approaches to teaching and learning.
Widespread learner-centered innovation is most often observed in schools with a shared understanding of the vision, diverse opportunities and support for growth, development and innovation, and systems that foster a culture of collective efficacy to improve outcomes for all students. The school leaders do not necessarily see themselves as the experts, yet they lead with the belief that excellent teaching can be accelerated by technology to create learner=centered experiences. These leaders ensure that the staff works collectively toward desired outcomes through multiple measures and evidence.
PART 2: LEARNING TO IMPROVE
Chapter 5: Learning in a Changing World
We know that when learners have a clear purpose, voice, and choice in their learning, they are empowered and can exceed our expectations. Creating environments where learners are supported to develop their ideas and questions and turn the smallest ideas or biggest dreams into their reality is possible and increasingly becoming a goal for may educators. To make this a reality in schools, educators must first be learners themselves and learn how to learn in a changing world.
*Learning to Learn in a Changing World
What is more valuable than retaining and being able to regurgitate information is knowing how to find and make sense of the right information.
*Educate for Life, Not School
If you want to be a lifelong employee anywhere today, you have to be a lifelong learner. And that means: More is now on you. And that means self-motivation to learn and keep learning becomes the most important life skill.
We shouldn't make learners wait until they master the basics to engage in authentic learning, nor should we ignore foundational skills.
Consider how to leverage technology in ways that allow learners to engage with content, experts, and their peers in class, next door, and around the world.
*Personal Learning for Educators
Instead of providing free choice, which sounded great in theory, he met with each teacher and helped them select a specific inquiry or area of focus connected to the larger school goals. This goal was co-constructed and allowed for more focused coaching and support. The teachers collected evidence of what they were learning and the impact on what their students were learning and had buy-in because they selected their focus.
*When Teachers Become the Learners
Motivation comes when learners have opportunities to exert agency in the learning process. Agency comes from the power to act, which requires learners to have the ability to make decisions and take ownership of their own behaviors in the process. We must change how we design learning experiences for students and educators. Without new models, people tend to revert back to what they experienced as learners as creatures of habit.
*The Learning Project
Creating structured opportunities to be metacognitive about how and what you are learning can inspire the creation of new learning experiences for students.
*Voice, Choice, and Agency
This shift from teaching the content and assessing what they retained to sparking curiosity and empowering learners to question, curate, and teach one another created a sense of agency that took the learning to an entirely new level. When we focus narrowly on assigning and grading, we can miss out on the learning.
*Creating the Space to Explore and Learn How to Learn
Personal learning is much less about learning to implement something and much more about establishing choice and ownership in the process that drives the learner.
*Rethinking Traditions
The new smart will be determined not by what or how you now but by the quality of your thinking, listening, relating, collaborating, and learning.
Innovation in education is not just about adding; it's also about subtracting. Prioritizing what matters most can help us go deeper and create better learning experiences that meet today's and tomorrow's desired outcomes.
*Eight Questions to Create Personal Learning Experiences
To see the change that is necessary in schools, we must provide learning experiences that offer personal learning paths that include learner voice and choice.
What if professional learning were driven by teacher goals, student needs, and personal learning opportunities? [Teacher EP to foster reflection and collaboration for entire year!]
Chapter 6: Designing to Empower
*Rethinking the Lesson Plan
I know we would all be better off if our students understood where they are in relation to the desired learning target and how they can close the gap. That is the essence of personalized learning.
...'what decisions am I making for students that they could make for themselves?'
*Pedagogy Trumps Curriculum
Or more precisely, pedagogy IS curriculum, because what matters is how things are taught, rather than what is taught. This is precisely why teachers matter and why teachers will always matter.
If students only learned what we teachers know, society would grind to a halt. The goal is always that students will write a better paragraph, conduct a scientific experiment more wisely, etc. Let's ask questions of students to which we don't already know the answer.
Chapter 7: Learning is a Process, Not an Event
*Reframing the Problem
She reframed the homework problem by acknowledging her real intention for assigning it.
*What's Preventing Students from Learning in School?
Reframing the problem is not to find the "real" problem, but finding a better problem to solve, and involving those who are doing the work in process. Looking at the challenges and the purpose of education differently can help us think about better solutions. Educator and author A.J.Juliani points out that "Our job is to help kids prepare themselves for anything."
*Content Does Not Change Behavior
[Conferences and PD] can be motivating, and we learn so many new ideas, but if you don't take it further and they don't impact how students learn, what's the point?
*Educator as Researcher
Plan//Do//Study//Act
*There Is Not One Right Way
"A way of thinking that creates something new and better, innovation can come from either 'invention' (something totally new) or 'iteration' (a change of something that already exists), but if it does not meet the idea of 'new and better,' it is not innovation." -George Couros
Just because something has been proven a best practice, doesn't mean it will always remain so.
*Learning is a Process, Not an Event
PL / Coaching Cycles
Chapter 8: Meet Learners Where They Are
*Invest in People
*Support Looks Different for Different People
[Coaches] help teachers develop and explicit vision of quality teaching and learning and have skills and strategies to help teachers arrive there, such as inquiry-based questioning, frequent observations and feedback, and models of desired learning experiences.
*See Me. Know Me. Grow Me.
*The Feedback Paradox
Feedback is best received within a relationship and when people feel valued.
*Radical Candor
If we assume everyone wants to be the very best they can be, then we see feedback as an opportunity for growth. Central to providing useful and effective feedback is demonstrating you care personally while also challenging directly.
*Honor the Learning Process
3-2-Q Reflection: three successes or things you are proud of, two areas that you want to improve, and a question you have for further inquiry or growth
*Put Away the Red Pen
"One should waste as little effort as possible on improving areas of low competence. It takes far more energy and work to improve from incompetence to mediocrity than it takes to improve from first-rate performance to excellence." -Peter Drucker
Chapter 9: Teachers Create What They Experience
*Five Reasons PD Is Not Transforming Learning and How to Solve It
1. No Vision or Clearly Defined Purpose
2. No Culture of Learning
3. Lack of Focus on (the Right) Student Outcomes
4. Lack of Connection to Other Educators
5. No Action
*When PD Is Just Right, It's Based on Competency, Not Seat Time
"hour-based accountability...indicates nothing about the growth of an educator's instructional practice"
*Training vs. Learning
If PD is ever going to be effective in bringing about change for students, it must shift away from something done TO educators toward a process of creating a culture of continuous learning cycles and problem solving
*From Teaching to Learning
Learner-centered innovation is not just about creating something new but doing something that yields better outcomes because of what we have created.
PART 3: SHARE YOUR LEARNING
Chapter 10: Better Together
The goal of professional learning and development shouldn't be to just get better at what has always been done; it should be to better meet the needs of learners in your classrooms and move forward.
"Ideas are in fact manifestations of a complex network of neurons firing in the brain and new ideas are only possible when new connections are formed." Steven Johnson
You need people who will challenge you and make you better.
Chapter 11: Make Learning Public
Closed cultures encourage and perpetuate ineffective practices and prevent better ideas-strategies that could have a positive impact on the school as a whole-from emerging.
Setting up systems that invite people to observe in nonthreatening ways is a great starting point.
-Pineapple Charts
-Team Teaching
The first versions of any new idea or teaching method will likely be inferior. The process of practicing and going through iterative cycles leads to learner-centered innovation.
-Identify what you want feedback on
*Curating Student Work!!!
A student's digital portfolio empowers the learning process because it give the creator of the space an opportunity to showcase learning while building a digital footprint that will be beneficial long after.
What if students could continue working from their best thinking and ideas and show their learning by grade level or teachers? What if students owned their portfolios, and we, as educators, created the experiences to add to them?
Chapter 12: Unleash Genius
TedX Kids
When the right person finds the right question, it can set them on a journey to change the world.
Today's American dream is now more of a journey than a destination.
*Are You Going to Practice What You Preach?
We can create experiences and design schools in ways that prepare students to be critical thinkers, communicators, and problem finders & solvers.
-Am I improving lives?
~
Foreword by George Couros
If we do not embrace opportunities for challenge, who does that benefit in the long term? If we want to change how students learn, we must change how teachers learn. If we don't prioritize authentic and relevant learning experiences for educators, how can we ensure our students have deeper learning experiences?
The power is in the collective movement of educators who begin to make the changes in their classrooms, schools, and districts.
Creating an environment where learners are empowered to take risks in pursuit of learning and growth rather than perfection is absolutely foundational to shifting educational practices. We must empower teachers to make decisions and design learning experiences that meet their students' needs.
Educators have been far too isolated, and we are plagued by a culture of closed doors. When given the opportunity (and sometimes a gentle nudge), we all benefit by observing peers and reflecting on our own practice.
The schools and districts in which I have seen the most movement have focused first on creating a culture of learning and innovation with shared goal where everyone is encouraged and trusted to try new things to work together toward that goal.
PART 1: THE INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM
Chapter 1: The Evolving Role of the Educator
If we focus only on the answers and not the thinking, questioning, and solving, we rob students (and ourselves) of great learning experiences. Our job is not to provide the answers that can be found in a textbook or in a webpage but to create the conditions that inspire learners to continue to wonder and figure out how to learn and solve problems and seek more questions.
*How We Live, Learn, and Work
If we are to prepare students for jobs that don't yet exist, how can we structure schools and education with a set of resources, curriculum, and ideas that are outdated before the kids learn them? Ultimately, we must ensure students can apply these foundational skills and use their knowledge to communicate, collaborate, and solve meaningful problems.
*Leading Change
Nobody is perfect, and at times we don't measure up, but if we can be authentic and open to learning and growing with those wes serve, we can collectively achieve much more than if we assume we have all the answers.
*A Tale of Three Classrooms
If we only focus on the latest programs, makerspaces, or the devices rather than on creating powerful learning experiences that align with the type of skills and character traits we want students to develop, we will continue to perpetuate the same norms in education with more expensive tools.
*The Evolving Role of the Educator
The power of the teacher comes not from the information she shares but from the opportunities she creates for students to learn how to learn, solve problems, and apply learning in meaningful ways.
*C0-Designers of Powerful Learning
Those who create the work support the work.
*Partners in Learning
Teachers don't have to know everything, but as partners in learning, they can model lifelong learning and empower students to explore their passions and interests while employing valuable skills. More importantly, they can learn to learn rather than solely consume information.
*Community Developer/Connector
Global Read-Aloud
*Activator
Our methods can and should move flexibly from direct teaching to collaborative or facilitative approaches based on the needs of the learners and the desired goals.
*Focus on Learning and Learners
If we want to change how students learn, we have to change how teachers learn. (TEACHERS CREATING AND MAINTAINING EPORTFOLIOS/BLOG.)
Students need teachers to help them make sense of information so that they can create new and better ideas that will move us all forward. As the role of the educator evolves, the human connection and guidance will become increasingly more - not less - important.
Chapter 2: The Innovation Ecosystem
*Stay Focused on Learners and Learning
What if we were obsessively learner focused in schools? We can easily focus on test scores, curriculum, programs, or even technology, but when we stay focused on the learners, all of these tools and measurements become secondary-part of what we do but not WHY we do it.
We can prevent this by looking for ways to create the conditions that empower all learners and inspire leaders rather than demand followers.
*Focus on Why, Not Just What
How do the systems we use serve to develop the skills and mindsets of learners and empower them to find their place in the world?
*Looking Beyond Schools
A big part of embracing new trends is looking beyond schools and partnering with businesses and the community, acknowledging that we don't know it all.
*High-Quality, High-Velocity Decision Making
Part of the challenge with waiting for buy-in and consensus is that people don't always see what is possible.
*Innovation Ecosystem
Everyone works together to learn and improve, and students are part of the decision-making process. All learners have opportunities to build on their strengths and interests and are eager to find and solve problems.
*Learning Experiences
[Goals should include more than higher test scores. What TEKS does the STAAR not measure?]
*The Learner: Developing Knowledge, Skills, and Mindsets
Change in education is about creating better ecosystems for learning and innovation, not just better programs or tools.
Chapter 3: Designing the Culture for Learning and Innovation
*Redefining the School Culture
One in which students gladly shared what they were working on and what they were learning.
Teachers who actively cultivate broader definitions of smart and strive for better opportunities to learn for both themselves and their students have demonstrated dramatic successes with teaching.
*Developing Academic Mindsets that Foster Belonging, Growth, and Innovation
-I belong in this community
-I can succeed at this
-My ability and competence grow with effort
-My work has value to me
*What's Holding You Back?
-Permission
-Protection
-reduction of Policies
-elimination of Perfection
You can't tell people to do something different or simply give them permission without showing them that they are protected and actively work to remove the barriers. You have to intentionally create the culture of learning and innovation every day.
Focusing on continuous growth over perfection in our schools will require deviating from the notion of best practices.
The world is not linier, and the path to success is not a fixed trajectory. Our students will need to learn to navigate diverse and unfamiliar pathways for which no road maps exist, so our best bet is to start equipping them with the tools and dispositions to begin exploring with us by their sides.
Chapter 4: What Does Your Ideal Classroom Look Like
*What's Your Message?
-No Buy-In
-Multiple Visions
-(Lack of) Accountability Focused
*What We Say and What We Do
Doing well on a test is not an end goal.
*What is Your Desired Graduate Profile?
*Create a Common Understanding of Desired Teaching and Learning
Education Reimagined defines the paradigm shift from learners and their critical role in their own learning now and throughout their lives.
When we focus on learners and connect to their interests, needs, and goals, we can create experiences that spark curiosity, ignite passion, and unleash genius. [Ted Talks for TPSP!]
*Agency
What these experiences have continuously taught me is that we can't control the learners and simultaneously expect them to be motivated without opportunities to exert agency in the learning process.
*The Impact of Leadership on Desired Teaching and Learning
Aligning schools with the world we live in is not about replacing existing curriculum and instructional practices with technology. It is about seeking to understand how students learn best. It is about creating better experiences to help drive desired outcomes for all students. The expectations, support, and models teachers experience all impact the culture in schools, which results in diverse approaches to teaching and learning.
Widespread learner-centered innovation is most often observed in schools with a shared understanding of the vision, diverse opportunities and support for growth, development and innovation, and systems that foster a culture of collective efficacy to improve outcomes for all students. The school leaders do not necessarily see themselves as the experts, yet they lead with the belief that excellent teaching can be accelerated by technology to create learner=centered experiences. These leaders ensure that the staff works collectively toward desired outcomes through multiple measures and evidence.
PART 2: LEARNING TO IMPROVE
Chapter 5: Learning in a Changing World
We know that when learners have a clear purpose, voice, and choice in their learning, they are empowered and can exceed our expectations. Creating environments where learners are supported to develop their ideas and questions and turn the smallest ideas or biggest dreams into their reality is possible and increasingly becoming a goal for may educators. To make this a reality in schools, educators must first be learners themselves and learn how to learn in a changing world.
*Learning to Learn in a Changing World
What is more valuable than retaining and being able to regurgitate information is knowing how to find and make sense of the right information.
*Educate for Life, Not School
If you want to be a lifelong employee anywhere today, you have to be a lifelong learner. And that means: More is now on you. And that means self-motivation to learn and keep learning becomes the most important life skill.
We shouldn't make learners wait until they master the basics to engage in authentic learning, nor should we ignore foundational skills.
Consider how to leverage technology in ways that allow learners to engage with content, experts, and their peers in class, next door, and around the world.
*Personal Learning for Educators
Instead of providing free choice, which sounded great in theory, he met with each teacher and helped them select a specific inquiry or area of focus connected to the larger school goals. This goal was co-constructed and allowed for more focused coaching and support. The teachers collected evidence of what they were learning and the impact on what their students were learning and had buy-in because they selected their focus.
*When Teachers Become the Learners
Motivation comes when learners have opportunities to exert agency in the learning process. Agency comes from the power to act, which requires learners to have the ability to make decisions and take ownership of their own behaviors in the process. We must change how we design learning experiences for students and educators. Without new models, people tend to revert back to what they experienced as learners as creatures of habit.
*The Learning Project
Creating structured opportunities to be metacognitive about how and what you are learning can inspire the creation of new learning experiences for students.
*Voice, Choice, and Agency
This shift from teaching the content and assessing what they retained to sparking curiosity and empowering learners to question, curate, and teach one another created a sense of agency that took the learning to an entirely new level. When we focus narrowly on assigning and grading, we can miss out on the learning.
*Creating the Space to Explore and Learn How to Learn
Personal learning is much less about learning to implement something and much more about establishing choice and ownership in the process that drives the learner.
*Rethinking Traditions
The new smart will be determined not by what or how you now but by the quality of your thinking, listening, relating, collaborating, and learning.
Innovation in education is not just about adding; it's also about subtracting. Prioritizing what matters most can help us go deeper and create better learning experiences that meet today's and tomorrow's desired outcomes.
*Eight Questions to Create Personal Learning Experiences
To see the change that is necessary in schools, we must provide learning experiences that offer personal learning paths that include learner voice and choice.
What if professional learning were driven by teacher goals, student needs, and personal learning opportunities? [Teacher EP to foster reflection and collaboration for entire year!]
Chapter 6: Designing to Empower
*Rethinking the Lesson Plan
I know we would all be better off if our students understood where they are in relation to the desired learning target and how they can close the gap. That is the essence of personalized learning.
...'what decisions am I making for students that they could make for themselves?'
*Pedagogy Trumps Curriculum
Or more precisely, pedagogy IS curriculum, because what matters is how things are taught, rather than what is taught. This is precisely why teachers matter and why teachers will always matter.
If students only learned what we teachers know, society would grind to a halt. The goal is always that students will write a better paragraph, conduct a scientific experiment more wisely, etc. Let's ask questions of students to which we don't already know the answer.
Chapter 7: Learning is a Process, Not an Event
*Reframing the Problem
She reframed the homework problem by acknowledging her real intention for assigning it.
*What's Preventing Students from Learning in School?
Reframing the problem is not to find the "real" problem, but finding a better problem to solve, and involving those who are doing the work in process. Looking at the challenges and the purpose of education differently can help us think about better solutions. Educator and author A.J.Juliani points out that "Our job is to help kids prepare themselves for anything."
*Content Does Not Change Behavior
[Conferences and PD] can be motivating, and we learn so many new ideas, but if you don't take it further and they don't impact how students learn, what's the point?
*Educator as Researcher
Plan//Do//Study//Act
*There Is Not One Right Way
"A way of thinking that creates something new and better, innovation can come from either 'invention' (something totally new) or 'iteration' (a change of something that already exists), but if it does not meet the idea of 'new and better,' it is not innovation." -George Couros
Just because something has been proven a best practice, doesn't mean it will always remain so.
*Learning is a Process, Not an Event
PL / Coaching Cycles
Chapter 8: Meet Learners Where They Are
*Invest in People
*Support Looks Different for Different People
[Coaches] help teachers develop and explicit vision of quality teaching and learning and have skills and strategies to help teachers arrive there, such as inquiry-based questioning, frequent observations and feedback, and models of desired learning experiences.
*See Me. Know Me. Grow Me.
*The Feedback Paradox
Feedback is best received within a relationship and when people feel valued.
*Radical Candor
If we assume everyone wants to be the very best they can be, then we see feedback as an opportunity for growth. Central to providing useful and effective feedback is demonstrating you care personally while also challenging directly.
*Honor the Learning Process
3-2-Q Reflection: three successes or things you are proud of, two areas that you want to improve, and a question you have for further inquiry or growth
*Put Away the Red Pen
"One should waste as little effort as possible on improving areas of low competence. It takes far more energy and work to improve from incompetence to mediocrity than it takes to improve from first-rate performance to excellence." -Peter Drucker
Chapter 9: Teachers Create What They Experience
*Five Reasons PD Is Not Transforming Learning and How to Solve It
1. No Vision or Clearly Defined Purpose
2. No Culture of Learning
3. Lack of Focus on (the Right) Student Outcomes
4. Lack of Connection to Other Educators
5. No Action
*When PD Is Just Right, It's Based on Competency, Not Seat Time
"hour-based accountability...indicates nothing about the growth of an educator's instructional practice"
*Training vs. Learning
If PD is ever going to be effective in bringing about change for students, it must shift away from something done TO educators toward a process of creating a culture of continuous learning cycles and problem solving
*From Teaching to Learning
Learner-centered innovation is not just about creating something new but doing something that yields better outcomes because of what we have created.
PART 3: SHARE YOUR LEARNING
Chapter 10: Better Together
The goal of professional learning and development shouldn't be to just get better at what has always been done; it should be to better meet the needs of learners in your classrooms and move forward.
"Ideas are in fact manifestations of a complex network of neurons firing in the brain and new ideas are only possible when new connections are formed." Steven Johnson
You need people who will challenge you and make you better.
Chapter 11: Make Learning Public
Closed cultures encourage and perpetuate ineffective practices and prevent better ideas-strategies that could have a positive impact on the school as a whole-from emerging.
Setting up systems that invite people to observe in nonthreatening ways is a great starting point.
-Pineapple Charts
-Team Teaching
The first versions of any new idea or teaching method will likely be inferior. The process of practicing and going through iterative cycles leads to learner-centered innovation.
-Identify what you want feedback on
*Curating Student Work!!!
A student's digital portfolio empowers the learning process because it give the creator of the space an opportunity to showcase learning while building a digital footprint that will be beneficial long after.
What if students could continue working from their best thinking and ideas and show their learning by grade level or teachers? What if students owned their portfolios, and we, as educators, created the experiences to add to them?
Chapter 12: Unleash Genius
TedX Kids
When the right person finds the right question, it can set them on a journey to change the world.
Today's American dream is now more of a journey than a destination.
*Are You Going to Practice What You Preach?
We can create experiences and design schools in ways that prepare students to be critical thinkers, communicators, and problem finders & solvers.
-Am I improving lives?
April 5, 2020
Very practical read. Enjoy Katie's insights and expertise. Definitely had an impact on my thinking and hopefully will on my practice in the classroom. Parts I especially enjoyed include:
~"As technology advances, the role of educators and parents to model and guide learners to find information and to learn how to ask better questions has become even more crucial in the development of critical thinkers."
~"...inspire leaders rather than demand followers."
~"When learners are posing questions and seeking answers, they are more invested than if they are being told what to think or do."
~"Learning accelerates when students have an audience beyond the teacher or their classmates."
~Value of looking at student work (protocol)
~Learners today growing up in a world where they can command information (Google) or entertainment (Netflix). Thinking about it, now that's a different thing. And, placing whatever is "downloaded" into context, that's the skill we as educators can (and must!) certainly help with.
~"As technology advances, the role of educators and parents to model and guide learners to find information and to learn how to ask better questions has become even more crucial in the development of critical thinkers."
~"...inspire leaders rather than demand followers."
~"When learners are posing questions and seeking answers, they are more invested than if they are being told what to think or do."
~"Learning accelerates when students have an audience beyond the teacher or their classmates."
~Value of looking at student work (protocol)
~Learners today growing up in a world where they can command information (Google) or entertainment (Netflix). Thinking about it, now that's a different thing. And, placing whatever is "downloaded" into context, that's the skill we as educators can (and must!) certainly help with.
June 29, 2018
If you can only read one book on teaching read this one. This can change your practice.
November 8, 2018
A great book aimed at practitioners while still including the important concepts related to innovation, next practices, and personalized learning for all students. I met Katie, and she rocks.
July 26, 2020
Dr. Martin has masterfully written an innovative book that is inspirational, practical, and essential for all educators! Learner-Centered Innovation is a powerful guide for rethinking education through the lens of learners first. This is a must-read for all educators, especially now when we are at a crossroads in education. Dr. Martin provides us with big ideas for systemic change as well as critical practices that individuals can implement to build community and design powerful learning experiences in order to be truly learner-centered! Highly recommend!
July 19, 2019
Great messages about starting with a school vision of what teaching and learning should look like before jumping into random school wide changes. However, the book on the whole was very repetitive, especially the message about revamping professional development for teachers to reflect what we hope teaching and learning should be like for our students
August 22, 2021
Powerful messages and reading this with my staff will be a great place to start important conversations. I’m left wishing there were more examples of what this looks like in a classroom Yes I have some new hashtags to follow & a few ideas to explore but I’m left wondering where to start. I’m reading Empower at the same time & I’d recommend these books together. 🤨🧐
July 12, 2018
A must-read for any educator wanting to ignite passion and curiosity in your students. What if you could create something better? What if classrooms could become the avenue for empowering students and unleashing their inner genius? A truly inspirational read for teachers, coaches, or administrators.
June 5, 2019
POWERFUL AND EMPOWERING
I highly suggest every educator read this incredible book. If you truly want to inspire success in all your learners this book is for you.
I highly suggest every educator read this incredible book. If you truly want to inspire success in all your learners this book is for you.
May 11, 2020
For educators who want to go beyond simply preparing students to take a test and are looking to awaken curiosity in them, this is an insightful book. I highly recommend it.
March 20, 2021
A fabulous and grounding book examining the foundations of educational practice. You just have get past the plethora of quippy quotes.
February 14, 2023
Great book for teachers looking to create a more learner-centered environment in the confines of the non learner-centered environment that they are in.
May 7, 2024
Smart and encouraging, particularly geared toward primary and secondary school.
July 26, 2018
There were some great ideas here that I will definitely use. There were also many repetitive moments and, in my mind, inaccurate or unfair broad generalizations of students, teachers, and leaders. Overall, though, it has given me a lot to think about.
July 29, 2018
Great for a novice in the field of ‘innovation’ in schools.
I found most of it work I already do, a few chapters were repetitive, and her editor could have had a heavier hand in general. There were a few nuggets I distilled but, overall, not worth the read.
I found most of it work I already do, a few chapters were repetitive, and her editor could have had a heavier hand in general. There were a few nuggets I distilled but, overall, not worth the read.
June 8, 2019
Really enjoyed this book. It's thoughtful and practical and asks some great questions. Recommend!
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