Intro to #IMMOOC
IMMOOC = Innovator’s Mindset Massive Open Online Course
I never done a MOOC before… nevertheless #IMMOOC. I am super excited… yet somewhat disoriented…but I’m catching up and here’s my first blog for #IMMOOC.
There is a weekly YouTube, a weekly Twitter chat, and blog prompts you can respond to. I missed the first YouTube event with Jo Boaler and now I’m “catching up” as mentioned watching the interview now. It’s so inspiring and in “my wheelhouse” in terms of math education and growth mindset. I am so glad that I took the time to listen to this interview with Jo Boaler. I feel so inspired… and yes, helped to me to make sense of (or add context to) the two blog prompts provided. I was wary about what I would write or if I would write a blog entry for #IMMOOC to share my thoughts and tell my story but Jo Boaler motivated me to do so. I loved what she had to say and I appreciated Jo Boaler’s story about her research. I feel validated and compelled to share. So here it goes…
WEEK 1 #IMMOOC BLOG PROMPTS & RESPONSES
Why is innovation in education so crucial today?
I loved it when Jo Boaler mentioned in the interview that curriculum is designed beautifully for the 1800’s, a time when we needed shop keepers who were able to count and calculate. BINGO. I am a former secondary math teacher and now teach a course at the university on curriculum development. I agree that curriculum serves a purpose and should reflect the current state of the world and possibly the future.
Jo Boaler speaks in the context of math education, but that is my area of expertise as well. Students need to go beyond filling out worksheets, answering questions from the textbook, and hoping to get the answer right. Testing is another problem and lack of formative feedback. Students have no idea if they are THINKING “correctly” (I use that term loosely) unless they check the back of the book… and that’s not good enough. I love the idea that schools (math included) should be a place where students can make mistakes, take risks, and play as part of their learning experience. I am aligned to this.
I’d hate to use the term “discovery learning” because that’s getting a bad wrap, but what I’d like to say is school is a place to LEARN ABOUT THEIR LEARNING. Innovating, creating, experimenting, tinkering, playing… whatever… help students to develop their metacognition, solve problems, and design something new. School should be more than just DOING and COMPLYING. That was very useful in the industrial model and factory style of learning… where GRADING learning was appropriate for assessment and evaluation of student achievement to see how well “students moved through the system” to become educated citizens. The letter grade symbolizes a “quality” of learning, but it’s a mish-mash of arbitrary measurements (e.g. testing, homework, work habits, behaviour).
This is where the fixed-mindset is established as students, teachers, and the system BUY INTO “the B-student.” This is what the industrial age needed and wanted… to create “quality widgets.” Today, we’re beyond that. We need and want our students to become global citizens… and, what does that look like? Innovation and growth mindset are integral to this “new” direction in education and all parts must align in this direction to make it happen for our students. So, I do get aggravated when I hear that students have to put their cell phones in a basket, memorize the parts of the periodic table, and learn from a worksheet. This is NOT how the real world is and we need to LOOK AT OURSELVES to determine what needs to change and then DO IT. Students should not be waiting to get out of school to start learning something that interests them, that celebrates their strengths, and that is purposeful and meaningful. Now is the time.
Talk about a time you dealt with adversity in education, and how you overcame it?
During the Twitter chat, one of the questions asked which quote was our favourite from the Innovator’s Mindset book. The one that resonated with me is situated early in the book on page 47 that says, “Great educators can work within the constraints in the system and still create innovative learning opportunities for their students.” I wholeheartedly believe this and KNOW that there are some great educators out there doing incredible and innovative things with their students in their classes… but there are very few. Meaning, innovation and risk taking in schools is not a cultural norm.
I love how Jo Boaler says that we need to CELEBRATE MISTAKES and CELEBRATE RISK-TAKING. I do believe that we get too caught up in the “the rules” or perceived rules or ways of being that teachers don’t bother, don’t know, or feel fearful to try. Furthermore, I love how Jo Boaler is not a fan of homework such that she would “gladly to get rid of all homework” because it’s an equity problem and most kids feel defeated with homework. I would absolutely agree with this. We need to teach differently. The final comment that made an impression on me with Jo Boaler was her comments to POLICY MAKERS… “We have to free up teachers”… “that’s when they start seeing connections.”
Leaders must also be “educated” on what it means to lead innovation in education. When I left teaching in public schools, I felt like I was being forced back into a box. The image of this lived experience was “me oozing out of my chair.” I couldn’t fit back into the chair. I wanted to grow. I wanted to experiment. I wanted to play. Slowly but surely I was put back into my room, denied opportunities I wanted to be a part of, and I felt like a “troublemaker” or out of place with my teaching practice. Over time, I was feeling disconnected and misaligned to my practice. I was becoming defiant and my focus was more about questioning why versus innovating with my students. So, I quit my job.
That was 7-years ago and it was not an easy journey back. I completed my dissertation and doctoral degree. I became a public speaker and facilitated many workshops and presentations. And, I was part of BC’s New Curriculum and its development. I restored my love of public education as a school trustee and gained a new understanding of how policy influences practice and student learning. I had the opportunity to return back to teaching as a sessional instructor and I love how I am able to be creative, innovative, and fun-loving in the classroom again. Yes, there are constraints teaching at the university, but also an academic and pedagogical freedom I adore and respect. I feel very lucky.
My Biggest Take-Away – Week 1 – #IMMOOC
When you push against what is traditionally known, you will get push back.
This is huge. That’s the underpinning of how I felt… and sometimes continue to feel with my former teaching practice, my research, and now educational leader. The solace that this gives me is overwhelming. Since leaving teaching in public schools I tried to avoid “the push back.” It’s not a good feeling. You feel isolated and alone… like you’re doing something wrong. In hindsight, this is counterintuitive. If you want to make change, accept that there will be push back. YEEEEESSSSS!!! Jo Boaler’s story was validating and inspiring. Thank you. I have attached Jo Boaler’s YouTube interview below. Enjoy!