Collaborate. Create.
      Learn.
  Creating the schools our kids need
http://todaysmeet.com/igenatl
http://bit.ly/igenatl




#igenatl
I was there...
...now I’m
    here.
IF WE COULD START FROM SCRATCH,
WHAT WOULD SCHOOLS LOOK LIKE?
Remember...kids are different now.
THIS IS ABOUT THE
EVOLUTION OF SCHOOLS
“Instead, the individuals who are emerging as the new “winners”—the new thrivers—of
    the twenty-first century are those who possess above-average creativity, strong
  analytical skills, a knack for foresight, and—surprise, surprise—good people skills.”
                                       Stephen Covey
From: http://
engage.education.alberta.ca/
     inspiring-action/
Trinity
Student
They lost money because
   they didn’t adapt.
 What are we willing to
          lose?
WHAT ARE WE
WAITING FOR?
Collaborate. Create. Learn
Collaborate.
You.Me.
  We.
“Everybody needs help in this game...We're all susceptible to falling down and
being exposed. But when we lose our fear of that, and look to each other, then
vulnerability turns into strength, and we can take responsibility for our place in
    the larger context of the team and embrace a vision in which the group
                imperative takes precedence over personal glory.”
                                   ~Phil Jackson
AUTONOMY. MASTERY.
    PURPOSE.
“We don't need sweeter carrots and sharper sticks...we
need a whole new approach.”
Daniel Pink
“Human beings have an innate inner drive to be
  autonomous, self-determined, and connected
to one another. And when that drive is liberated, people
    achieve more and live richer lives.” Daniel Pink
What works for us, often works for kids.
Motivation a
Autonomy: The urge to direct
our own lives.




Mastery: The desire to get
better at something that matters.




Purpose: The yearning to do
what we do in the service of
something larger than ourselves.
Motivation...in schools a
Autonomy: The urge to direct        Autonomy: The urge to direct
our own lives.                      our own teaching/learning.




                                    Mastery: The opportunity and
Mastery: The desire to get
                                    time to deepen and improve our
better at something that matters.
                                    practice.




Purpose: The yearning to do         Purpose: The importance of
what we do in the service of        contributing to the greater school
something larger than ourselves.    vision.
When people in organizations focus only on their position, they
 have little sense of responsibility for the results produced
    when all positions interact. Moreover, when results are
disappointing, it can be very difficult to know why. All you can
          do is assume that “someone screwed up.”
                          - Peter Senge
SCHOOL TEACHERS VS.
CLASSROOM TEACHERS
WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR
    ALL CHILDREN
Learning needs to be seen as a continuous journey, not
                  done in “chunks”.
Conne
WE NEED TO DRAW UPON THE
EXPERTISE OF OUR PARENTS.
Revisiting Learning Spaces
We need to rethink and
effectively use our learning
            spaces
“Involve your students’ parents as much as you can. Try
thinking of them as your students as well, that is, as people you
                 are educating.” Marc Prensky
The Power of Sharing
Connected Principals
Create.
“We should not be blown away by our students; we should
  be expecting even more from them.” Marc Prensky
Flow
IF WE HAVE ACCESS TO
ALL INFORMATION, HOW
DO WE MOVE FORWARD?
From: http://
 www.ecorazzi.com/
  2008/02/13/british-
 supermarket-tesco-
doubles-order-for-free-
   range-chickens/




Is this picture okay to have
    in this presentation?
From: http://
 www.ecorazzi.com/
  2008/02/13/british-
 supermarket-tesco-
doubles-order-for-free-
   range-chickens/




Is this picture okay to have
    in this presentation?
cc licensed flickr photo by
steren.giannini: http://flickr.com/
  photos/steren/2732488224/
PASSION (PERSONALIZED)
    BASED LEARNING
“We are students of words: we are shut up in schools,
 and colleges, for ten or fifteen years, and come out
 at last with a bag of wind, a memory of words, and
     do not know a thing.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Once children
 leave childhood,
  they can never
return. Childhood
 affords them the
time to be creative
    dreamers.”
    Jenifer Fox
A CHILD’S
IMAGINATION IS
   ENDLESS
Transfer of
Ownership
Innovation Day
Student Led Assemblies


      Hip Hop


     Identity Day


  Forest Green News


Student Led Conference


 1-1 Laptop Program
If we are doing a good job in schools, we
are not only preparing our students to be
 leaders in the future, but leaders today.
THIS IS NOT LIMITED
  TO STUDENTS...
“Leadership is communicating
people’s worth and potential so
clearly that they are inspired to
     see it in themselves.”
         Stephen Covey
Our Professional
Development Plan
Learn.
It is not enough to simply stand our ground
     and expect people to follow us. As leaders
we sometimes need to cross the bridge, meet people
   where they are, and walk beside them as they
      move to where we know we need to be.
The most important role a leader
 can play education is that of a
          learner.
TRANSPARENT AND
CONTINUOUS LEARNING
http://georgecouros.ca




http://connectedprincipals.com
Continuous (Transparent) Learning
LEAD LEARNER VS. TEACHER
WE NEED TO ASK THE SAME
OF OURSELVES THAT WE DO
    OUR STUDENTS.
Growth                           Fixed




         What is your mindset?
DOES THIS LOOK
DIFFERENT FROM GRADE
      TO GRADE?
We need to focus on engaged learning,
not big rewards.
Learning vs. Performance
This kills me
The question that should be
   behind every answer in
        education...
   what is best for kids?
Moving Forward
We can no longer work
     in isolation
We need to learn alongside
      our students
How many of us purposefully and
explicitly model the learning process
  for our children? How many of us
  stand up in front of kids and say,
"This is what I'm learning right now.”
            Scott McLeod
THE MOST IMPORTANT
  SKILL WE NEED TO
   IMPART TO OUR
    STUDENTS IS
LEARNING TO LEARN
No matter how far we are,
we need to get on the path.
We have to keep asking...




WHAT WILL MAKE YOUR CLASSROOM
    SCHOOL EXCEPTIONAL?
GET BETTER...
OUR KIDS DESERVE IT
Contact Me




Email - georgecouros@gmail.com   Email - gcouros@psd70.ab.ca


      Twitter - @gcouros            Blog - georgecouros.ca

Collaborate. Create. Learn.

Editor's Notes

  • #2 \n
  • #3 \n
  • #4 \n
  • #5 This is a question that we need to start asking....this also means that a lot of the things that we do are already great.\n
  • #6 This is a question that we need to start asking....this also means that a lot of the things that we do are already great.\n
  • #7 This is a question that we need to start asking....this also means that a lot of the things that we do are already great.\n
  • #8 \n
  • #9 This is not about throwing out everything that schools are, but instead building upon the great things that we are already doing.\n
  • #10 \n
  • #11 \n
  • #12 \n
  • #13 But if sc\n
  • #14 Teachers waiting for this to be implemented into the curriculum? How long does that take? Parents to let us know what is better?\n
  • #15 This is my vision of schools...what I would like to see happening in the future\n
  • #16 \n
  • #17 \n
  • #18 Good Boss, Bad Boss analogy...Men’s Warehouse analogy. Roles on the team.\n
  • #19 \n
  • #20 How do you motivate staff? I help them motivate themselves. They ask, “what do you need me to do?”...Talk about Kelly Wilkins, trust, what I would do, her motivation etc.\n
  • #21 \n
  • #22 The environment that we want as teachers, we need to create for our students. Trust, risk taking, flexibility, lateness.\n
  • #23 \n
  • #24 \n
  • #25 We need to quit working in isolation and start connecting with one another...\n
  • #26 \n
  • #27 \n
  • #28 The ray of learning...discuss the conversation about the Kindergarten teacher that asked me about keyboarding and the amount of time to log on to the computer.\n
  • #29 The importance of our kindergarten teachers participating to some extent.\n
  • #30 \n
  • #31 \n
  • #32 How do we get parents involved? Their expertise with ours is essential.\n
  • #33 \n
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  • #38 \n
  • #39 \n
  • #40 \n
  • #41 \n
  • #42 \n
  • #43 \n
  • #44 \n
  • #45 It is essential that we have the mindset that we are willing to connect\n
  • #46 \n
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  • #50 \n
  • #51 \n
  • #52 \n
  • #53 \n
  • #54 \n
  • #55 \n
  • #56 \n
  • #57 \n
  • #58 It is so essential that \n
  • #59 \n
  • #60 We need to allow students to develop their own thoughts and ideas...\n
  • #61 \n
  • #62 Forest Green News, Student Led Conferences, Portfolios, Hip Hop Dance\n
  • #63 \n
  • #64 \n
  • #65 \n
  • #66 This is not only for our kids to be leaders in their learning, but also our staff\n
  • #67 This is not only limited to students....we have given our students the opportunity to create, we need it as well. We also need to do it with purpose. When staff had this opportunity to develop based on their strengths, this was also an opportunity for them to become leaders in our school.\n
  • #68 \n
  • #69 \n
  • #70 \n
  • #71 We all learn...we are sitting here today and learning. Does anyone know this is happening? Is this PD day enough? Is this all we would ask of our students?\n
  • #72 \n
  • #73 \n
  • #74 \n
  • #75 \n
  • #76 We often want our leaders to be a certain way, and our students, but we need to ask more of ourselves.\n
  • #77 Having trouble moving from grade to grade, switching subjects, adverse to change? Our students have to do it all the time.\n
  • #78 When we give grades or limits to learning, aren’t we holding back our kids?\n
  • #79 Discussion of how teachers in different areas may have different learning...not really how it works. Teachers need to follow in the path of their own passion and learn about it.\n
  • #80 Sticker charts, etc....blah blah blah. Good teachers engage kids in what they are learning.\n
  • #81 The example of a second language...French\n
  • #82 This is not about throwing out everything that schools are, but instead building upon the great things that we are already doing.\n
  • #83 How much content do we need to remember or will we use? It is the process that is most important. Creating is more importa t than content\n
  • #84 Why do we do all of this?\n
  • #85 \n
  • #86 \n
  • #87 Students and teachers nee to be learners...we need to learn alongside our kids\n
  • #88 Reference Scott McLeod’s article...blah blah \n
  • #89 Kids are watching more now than ever...\n
  • #90 \n
  • #91 This is the most important skill we need in schools.\n
  • #92 The talk of implementation. If you really disagree, not implementing will not prove anything right. Implement and if it fails, it is not because of effort.\n
  • #93 \n
  • #94 None of this matters if the vision is not clear...\n\nThere are two options here....jump in or jump off.\n
  • #95 \n
  • #96 \n