Digital Leadership Teams

Inspired by Amanda Hornick, a 6th grade teacher in our district, and Beth Campbell, our Tech Integrationist, my fifth grade teachers (Becky Larson and Tara Sitrick) and myself decided to create what we are calling our 5th Grade Digital Leadership Team. We decided to start with six students from each class. 

We outlined what we wanted as their primary responsibilities:

• Piloting new technology being used in the classroom
• Training other students on that technology in the classroom
• Ensuring classroom technology is properly handled and stored

Then, we presented this idea to our students and asked those who were interested to fill out an application. We also indicated that this was a new position and we were all learning together, so they would be helping to create/change the responsibilities of the team throughout the year.

Our teams met for the first time yesterday. Holding with my guiding question "What decisions am I making for students that they could make for themselves", I proposed the following task to them:

Discuss:

1. How will be accomplish bullet 3?

2. How will we hold each other accountable?

Draft a plan to ensure that your classroom technology is properly handled and stored at the end of each day.

The conversations began quickly. Fairly soon, two very different schedules were being developed. Both groups did a great job of listening to each other and trying to ensure that everyone was getting the responsibilities they were most interested in (at least part of the time.)

But when it came to the second part of that discussion, accountability, it was a much more difficult idea. The students struggled first with the idea of holding each other accountable (rather than the teacher holding them all accountable) and then ... what would be a reasonable consequence when someone doesn't do their job? It was exciting to listen to their discussions. I'm anxious to see how things progress from this point on.

As a side note, Becky reported to me that the Leadership Team completed their duties at the end of the day without being prompted to do so. They're off to a good start!

Getting Organized for Innovation

So, after a small group of teachers did the book study onThe Innovators Mindsetby George Couros, the question was "How do we get started building a culture of innovation?" Step one was to get organized!

Our district Tech Integrationist, Beth Campbell, set up a summer class that she called "Tech Cohorts." The purpose of this group was to talk about some of Courus' ideas, but then really dig in and get specific. Under Beth's guidance, the goal was to leave that meeting in June with a place to start this fall.

Using the "Eight Things to Look for in Today's Classroom", we were challenged to choose an area that we might be interested in pursuing. We did this individually first. And then we looked for other people who had a common interest. Those became our planning groups.

Being the librarian, I'm hoping to be involved in all of these groups at some point as we move forward. But my specific group chose to focus on "Collaborating Locally & Globally." 

The next step was to discuss our "Why." In my cohort group, our why was a direct quote from Couros' book: "We learn twice by connecting and sharing with an audience." And we added that it makes for a richer experience with authentic feedback from that connection.

Our final steps were to brainstorm some potential ideas and units that we could see having a connection to our focus (in my case: Collaborating Locally and Globally) and what tech tools might be needed to help achieve this piece. With these ideas in hand, we left for the summer with a mission for the fall semester. And now it's time to begin!

Team Bridgeview:

Beth, Bailie, Rachel & Kaitlin

Megan, Megan and Karin

Tara, Becky and Logan

There is one group of teachers not shown (they kept hiding from my camera!)

Game On!

I think teachers and librarians are natural problem solvers. When we see something or hear something that needs to be solved, we spring into action. Which is why giving that responsibility over to students can be a bit of a challenge at times. And it's going to take practice.

Case in point. Yesterday, I had a discussion with a staff member about a reading survey she did with her students. A common thread with these sixth graders was "Could we have more graphic novels in the library?" My answer was "Yes, of course, I'll see what new ones I can find."

STOP!! Step back. Ask the guiding question: "What decisions am I making for my students that they could make for themselves?" Ah HA! I feel the tide turning toward student empowerment. Do they feel passionate about this topic? They sure do. It's time to put my money where my mouth is ... literally ... by way of the library budget.

I went back and talked to the staff member this morning about turning this into a project for this group of students. And she was all for it. Suddenly we were talking about presentations to the PTA, communicating to a wider audience to get ideas, leadership opportunities, etc. So, let the project begin! I'm excited to see where this first step takes us.

And, by the way, this idea was inspired, once again, by Joyce Valenza talking about innovative ideas at IASL. Andy Plemmons (@plemmonsa), a librarian in Athens, GA, has a "Student Book Budget Committee" in his library. So, a shout out to Andy for the inspiration! Maybe his students could give my students some tips and advice? Stay tuned!

I heard it! Did you?

Right before school started, I read the book Empower: What Happens When Students Own their Learning by A.J. Juliani and John Spencer. After having just recently read George Courus' Innovator's Mindset, this book was the perfect complement.

With all the ideas from both of those excellent books swirling around in my head, I went to work on planning the year. At first, I was feeling so overwhelmed. There were so many things I wanted to change about the way I teach in the library. What should I focus on first?

I was floundering until I remembered a reflection question presented in Empower. What decisions am I making for students that they could make for themselves? This became my anchor. Suddenly it became clear where I needed to start. And I'm very excited to try some of the new ideas I have come up with.

First up: I'm totally changing what my fourth graders will be doing this year in the library. At the end of last year, I took a survey with these kids. I asked them "What would you like to do in library next year?" They then brainstormed a list of ideas. Now, that list has become a list of project options. Students will choose a project (or suggest another idea not on the list), set a goal and get to work! I will be the "Guide on the Ride" as Juliani and Spencer call it.

When I was describing this to students during our first 4th grade library time of the year, I heard it. I heard the prolonged "S" at the end of "yes" that indicates enthusiasm, excitement and approval. I don't know who's more excited, my students or myself. I think it's going to be a great year!

What's your box?

Just one more day until our students arrive, so I thought it might be a good idea to explain the title of our blog: "Forget the Box." Because, basically, that's going to be our call to arms this year for our Tech Cohort groups.

During Joyce Valenza's presentation at IASL in April, she told a wonderful story about a woman who she sat next to on an airplane (I think) with which she had a discussion. This woman was a self-made entrepreneur. After listening for awhile to the woman, Joyce's comment was that she must really think outside the box. The woman's response was: "Joyce, what makes you think there's a box?"

That phrase really stuck with me. How often do we confine ourselves to a certain way of thinking, creating our own box that we must escape in order to try something innovative?And when I shared the phrase with my Instructional Coach, Megan, it really resonated with her, as well.

So this year, we're all about "Forgetting the Box!" We will not confine our thinking. We will take risks, think bigger and be ready to help our students do the same.

How can Research Projects be Innovative?

When our district librarians started looking at the Iowa Core Standards, it became clear that there was something missing. The core at every grade level mentions research, such as "Conduct short research projects that build knowledge ..." but it never discusses what good research looks like. 

As a group, we decided to create a model to communicate to teachers what good research includes. We called it "Good Researchers will ..."

1. Ask a question
2. Find reliable information
3. Take notes using their own words
4. Cite all sources
5. Communicate new understandings

This was the elementary version. Our Jr. High and High School Librarians have a different version of this.

So, as I was reading through the Innovator's Mindset, I really liked this visual about the things that should be happening in the classroom

And I started thinking about the research process and how I could show teachers that when we do research, we are hitting a lot of these areas. The picture below is what I'll be sharing with teachers this fall:

I would say that choice is probably the most crucial component to making research innovative. Choice in the questions they are asking, choice in the resources they are using and choice in how they communicate their findings. So, let the research begin!

What Is My Why?

Another theme that was common between The Innovator's Mindset and Joyce Valenza's IASL presentation was knowing your why. 

George Couros: "If we don't know the why, we'll never get to the how and what."  

Joyce Valenza's Questions for transforming teaching and learning:

1. What are my whys?
2. What if I could?
3. Why not?

In her presentation, Joyce asked the teacher librarians to share their "Whys." Why does your library exist? What is your purpose? I wish I could say I jumped up and shouted something eloquent and profound. But that was not the case. I need time to think, process, revise and think some more. Then ... maybe ... if the stars are aligned just right, I might say something ... or not.

One thing I thought might be helpful was to ask my students what they thought. So, as the end of the year approached, I posed the following question: When you hear the word library, what comes to mind? The top two answers: Reading and books. This is no surprise as I would say that, generally, that is the focus of most of the activities in the library. We've been working really hard to establish a culture of readers at Bridgeview. The third most mentioned item was research. Also, not surprising because I am fortunate in that the teachers in my building let me collaborate and team teach with them on their research projects. And then, because just a couple weeks earlier we had had an amazing Skype with Bob Staake, several kids mentioned Skyping with authors.

So as I thought about what my students said and also what I had been reading and hearing about innovation, plus reviewing the Future Ready Librarians initiative, I started drafting my "Why." I asked myself "How do I want my students to answer that question? What experiences do I want my students to have through the library?" That's been swirling around in my head for several weeks. Once again, I consulted my "go to" people for great feedback: Megan, my instructional coach, and Beth, our district Tech Integrationist. It's so nice to get outside yourself and hear what others think.

Okay, Joyce, now I'm ready to answer your question. 

The why of Bridgeview Library is to empower our students to think, create, collaborate and communicate.  

How will I do this? By creating an environment that inspires

• The Love of Reading & Learning
• The Use of Critical Thinking & Curiosity
• The Development of Imagination
• The Power of a Student's Voice and Reflection
• The Courage to take Calculated Risks

As I make my plans with teachers, I want to be able to connect those plans with one or more of the above statements. This statement will be permanently affixed to my planner.

I intend to survey the same group of students next year with the same question. Do I expect them to spout these phrases verbatim? No. I just hope that they describe experiences to me that show evidence of these five areas.

Up next: How does research support the Innovative Mindset?

And so it begins ...

It was the perfect storm, as they say. Our district elementary schools were doing a book study on George Couros' The Innovator's Mindset. At the same time, looking to re-energize my teaching, I registered to attend the IASL Conference in April. The theme of the conference was The Perfect Blend: Innovative, Grounded, Future Ready. The keynote speaker was the amazing Joyce Valenza and the title of her keynote address was There is no box: Innovation and your whys, what ifs and why nots.

Bam! The inspiration hit with the force of a hurricane. I was suddenly evangelizing about innovation to anyone who would listen: Megan Halverson, my Instructional Coach ... Beth Campbell, our district Tech Integrationist ... strangers on the street. Megan and Beth were both very supportive of my enthusiasm. The strangers just backed away slowly. 

While Couros' book talks to a more general audience, Valenza challenged the Teacher Librarians in the room. "School librarians can transform cultures and creatively move communities forward." Librarians have more flexibility in their job description and, therefore, are in a stronger position to lead the charge. But it was Couros' book that inspired me to blog about this journey. See? The perfect storm.

And just as both Couros and Valenza talk about innovators being risk-takers, this is a huge risk for me ... sending my (usually very private) thoughts out into the world. But it's a risk I'm finally ready to take. Because this is a journey for which I have passion. A journey I know will make a difference in the lives of our students. And, I hope that there might be one person out there who reads this and gets inspired to try something new.

Next time: What is your Why?