Professional Learning at FISA 2016
As mentioned previous blog entries, 2016 is all about ALIGNMENT… meaning, I am going to do what’s important to me… AKA. Education. This includes the completion of my dissertation and defence, my work as a school trustee, and my professional learning as an educator and educational consultant. I have already started 2016 with a bang with TedxLangleyED and iOS Summit Vancouver. What’s next?
FISA 2016. FISA is the Federation of Independent Schools Association where 5 independent school associations are members of this organization, a provincial voice for independent schools. This is the 50th Anniversary of FISA and it was decided that all 5 associations would join together in Vancouver to celebrate this feat and learn together. In doing so, FISA 2016 was able to attract some amazing speakers.
At first, I had no intention of attending FISA 2016. In fact, I did not know about the event until a teacher mentioned it during a workshop I was facilitating about the new BC curriculum. I cite Yong Zhao and Daniel Pink in my workshop presentation with respect to 21st Century Learning and motivation and to know that both of them were coming to Vancouver to the same conference, my curiosity was peaked.
Sure enough, I scroll through Twitter and there were tickets available to attend FISA 2016. How could I resist? Daniel Pink? Yong Zhao? I decided to purchase a ticket as my professional learning as an educator and educational consultant. This meant professional learning on a budget… sleeping on my parents’ floor in their condo a SkyTrain ride away. Well… a person has got to do what a person has got to do.
In the meantime, FISA 2016 held a Twitter contest… win a ticket to meet Daniel Pink. Oh yes, with no shame, I’m tweeting with the hashtag #FISA2016. I could not pass up the opportunity to meet Daniel Pink. People like him are almost fictional to me. I only know of them via Ted Talks. Anyway… guess what? I WON!!! Crazy or what??? Admittedly, it was a memorable moment for me to meet Daniel Pink in person.
5100+ educators attended the FISA 2016 convention. What a production!!! Student performers, incredible speakers, and connecting with those F2F in my PLN. I had the chance to connect up with folks like @RosePillay1, @RachelleAW, and @BrianKoning7, and @JodieSuss… as well as see BCSTA President Teresa Rezansoff, BCSTA CEO Mike Roberts, BCTF President Jim Iker, BCPVPA President Gordon Li, and BCPVPA Executive Director Kit Krieger. It was good to see representation from public schools.
The keynote presentation given by Daniel Pink was awesome!!! It was so worth the conference fee alone. He spoke about the power of persuasion, student self-advocacy, and perspective. He used the acronym ABC for (Attunement, Bouyancy, and Clarity). Loved his messages of lowering one’s sense of power to see someone else’s point of view, the newest skill we want for students is “problem finding,” and what it means to be an AMBIVERT. Everything he has to say is researched based. Love that!!! Daniel Pink is an incredible speaker and writer… something to strive for.
I follow up the keynote with a private reception to meet and greet Daniel Pink in person. I was one of 30 people to have this opportunity. He was so gracious and kind. He’s kind of a ham, really. I took a few edu-selfies with Daniel Pink along with a hug, autograph, and group photo. He connected with everyone in the room. He was so engaged with each person. Again, I had much to learn from Daniel Pink.
After this memorable opportunity to meet one of my edu-heroes, I was off to see another edu-hero Yong Zhao. I did take the opportunity to have a photo taken with Yong Zhao during the reception before getting lost in the sea of educators. I also had the awesome opportunity to spend a good part of this day with @RachelleAW, a teacher from Powell River who took the course I taught at St. Mark’s College.
I’ve seen Yong Zhao twice before, but I love what he has to say about 21st Century Learning. I was also curious how he is able to change his presentation based on the audience, theme of the conference, and staying true to his research. He did a great job. I am a big fan of the entrepreneurial mindset in education… having choice, focusing on talent, and being creative. He was also fun to follow downstairs to get my book signed and for him to say to me, “Your kids must like you. You’re crazy!”
Seeing both Daniel Pink and Yong Zhao made my conference experience. I was pretty much satisfied. Everyone else I would see would be a bonus and there were no disappointments. Loved watching the 5 speakers during Ed Talks looking at the big picture of education. I loved listening to Alan November and his passion for technology and education. I never knew about Wolfram Alpha and what Google can or cannot do. Charles Fadel re-emphasized the point of technology and the need to develop student competencies. The dating video with computer contacts freaked me out. But what I found most impressive was the common theme from speaker to speaker… machines are replacing people… WE NEED TO RETHINK EDUCATION.
The two-day event ends with the closing speaker… Commander Colonel Chris Hadfield. For the entire conference I’ve been sitting up front and centre. I left for a few moments to grab a coffee and muffin. I returned back to the conference room to find not one seat available near the front, centre stage. The room was filling quickly with 40 minutes remaining until the final keynote. I found a seat at the end of the row, mid-left from centre. Two women sat next to me… karmic really. Like stories, a vested interest student success, math education, and doctoral studies. I love meeting new people at conferences… and then, it was the final keynote.
Wowza… I have no words. I have found a new edu-hero with Chris Hadfield. What an incredible story… to dream to walk on the moon as a young child living in Moose Jaw, MB to three flight missions with NASA. From engineer to pilot to astronaut to inspirational speaker. I love his message. Reach the limits of your born potential. Never be satisfied with your expertise. Stand a bit taller. Do what’s important to you. Set an impossible goal and this will inform your next steps. Impossible things happen.
Have a vision and define your perfection. What do you want to accomplish in your life? This will motivate you. Visualizing failure is preparing for change. You have to love and enjoy what you are doing. You need to push yourself to the edge or else you’ll never experience it. Early success is a terrible teacher, but expect to make mistakes when your’ trying to make change. The opposite of fear is EDUCATION.
Chris Hadfield is an excellent storyteller. He connects his story to a message to educators. We need to visualize the impossible. We need to create space for our students to visualize the impossible. He shows examples of those achieving the impossible. It took him 26 years to become an astronaut and he’s from Canada. He closes his talk emphasizing the importance of music is to mental health and starts playing his guitar and sings Major Tom. Wow! More impressive… he accepts questions from the audience and answers them wholeheartedly. What’s my impossible?
Thank you FISA 2016 for this memorable event. Happy 50th Anniversary!!!