Author: karinst8ler

Grandpa’s Clock, Coaching Data, and What His Hands Knew

Posted on by karinst8ler

My maternal grandfather passed away of old age during the height of the pandemic. As a man known for his love and abundance of clocks, each grandchild received a clock. My dad picked out a clock in a state of disrepair as a project for him and a gift for me. It happened to be my favorite – a Black Forest cuckoo clock from Germany with hunting and natural elements that draw on my heritage.

Me with mom and dad, Grandpa’s cuckoo clock, and my grandpa with his first family

My parents live in Michigan so I didn’t actively watch my dad fix the clock, but I did receive frequent updates. As a mechanically minded man, my Dad has always embodied tacit knowledge: That which grows from experience and lives in your body (Thomas & Brown, 2011). When my dad first got the clock, he took it apart to see if cleaning the movement would fix the problem. Once it was apart, he had no clue how to put it back together! He turned to YouTube where he found a video and put the clock back together moment by moment, piece by piece. Unfortunately, the clock still didn’t work so he found a clock shop in Frankenmuth, MI that specializes in Black Forest Cuckoo clocks. There, he purchased a new movement and a few other parts that had wear.

Inquiry 

When I talked to him about this process as a part of my research for this blog, I was struck by the complexity of his thinking. He told me that he asked, “How do I solve this problem?” His learning was not so much about knowing how to do something, rather figuring out where to learn how to do something. He also reiterated to me that when he got this clock, he knew nothing about clocks or clock movements.

This is the premise of inquiry learning and the new culture of learning. The process of inquiry “forces us to explore the various ways in which the information we possess can open new sets of questions” (Thomas & Brown, 2011, p. 83). What don’t we know, what can we ask about it? (Thomas & Brown, 2011). Also, “reframing knowledge as a where question underscores the increasing importance of context” (Thomas & Brown, 2011, p. 93). To create context, we must understand the where of a piece of information (Thomas & Brown, 2011).

Passion, Imagination, Constraint

My dad is very passionate about two things: Building and tinkering. He would be the first to say he is not “an academic,” but the New Culture of Learning (Thomas & Brown, 2011) would argue that in this day and age, no one really is in the traditional sense. “In the digital world, we learn by doing, watching, and experiencing” (Thomas & Brown, 2011, p. 76). Up until the pandemic, “almost every technique and practice we have for understanding how we learn has been about the explicit – the content – in a stable world” (Thomas & Brown, 2011, p. 76). When the pandemic hit, we shifted our practice dramatically, and we can and should continue to ride this wave as we move toward learning in a context of rapid change.

The idea of providing constraints strikes me as a key concept in the New Culture of Learning. “If you want to drive an architect crazy, give them a large, smooth, flat piece of land and then watch them spin out of control trying to figure out what to do with it. If you really want to make them happy, give them something that’s impossible to build on” (Thomas, 2012). It is the limitation – the constraint – coupled with a passion that drives the imagination.

The constraints placed on my grandfather’s cuckoo clock were the characteristics of and malfunctions specific to that clock. My dad had to get imaginative with his solutions. For example, some of the woodwork was broken. Dad was able to find the horn for the clock online, but he couldn’t find the specific antlers. He purchased a pair that are plastic and fit perfectly with the coloring and design. No one would know if I didn’t mention it! I hope he’s not disappointed that I wrote it here.

The Collective

The way that my dad used the “collective” – or the vast information resource – included YouTube videos, Google searches, Amazon, and a clock shop. Even though he didn’t interact through creation, his passive interactions – YouTube views, shopping, and google searches – had an effect on the collective information. I think of this as the learning loop. As individual learning occurs in a collective space, it affects the environment which changes in response. Therefore, new learning can and must happen.

Image created by Karin Stateler in Canva.

A rather new example of this is a new web application called Connect Hub that our district uses to track coaching data. Suzana Somers built Connect Hub when she saw a need to track data on instructional coaching. She didn’t have the app that she needed, so she built it! Because our district is one of the founding users, suggestions that we offer Suzana will have a real-time effect on how the app improves. As we use Connect Hub, we learn, we affect the environment, and the environment changes as a result.

Combining Tacit Knowledge, Intuition, and the Collective

I first encountered the concept of tacit knowledge in Jay Silver’s TED Talk, Hack a Banana, Make a Keyboard (2013). He spoke of a Not Back to School Camp, in which the leaders challenged students to build something as long as they made it from items found in nature. A student created a piece he called “fire,” with sticks fixed to the trunk of a tree. When others asked the student how he did it he said, “I don’t know, but I can show you” (Silver, 2013). “He doesn’t know, but he can show you. So his hands know and his intuition knows, but sometimes what we know gets in the way of what could be” (Silver, 2013). 

As I reflect on the importance of the collective, I’m going to leave you with my favorite quote from Silver’s TED Talk:

“I used to want to design a utopian society or a perfect world or something like that. But as I’m kind of getting older and kind of messing with all this stuff, I’m realizing that my idea of a perfect world really can’t be designed by one person or even by a million experts. It’s really going to be seven billion pairs of hands, each following their own passions, and each kind of like a mosaic coming up and creating this world in their backyards and in their kitchens. And that’s the world I really want to live in” (Silver, 2013).

References

Silver, J. (2013, May 16). Jay Silver: Hack a banana, make a keyboard! TED. Retrieved March 27, 2022, from https://www.ted.com/talks/jay_silver_hack_a_banana_make_a_keyboard?language=en

Thomas, D. (2012, September 13). A New Culture of Learning, Douglas Thomas at TEDxUFM. YouTube. Retrieved March 22, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lM80GXlyX0U

Thomas, D., & Brown, J. S. (2011). A New Culture of Learning: Cultivating the Imagination for a World of Constant Change. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.

Crucial Conversations

Posted on by karinst8ler

“If everyone were a better listener, respecting what each other has to say, what a difference that would make for each person.”

Michelle Gilbert (Knight, 2015, p. 52)

I struggle to feel heard.

I belong to a leadership cohort in my district called Future Ready Leadership Academy. In FRLA, we were tasked with reading a leadership book and sharing it with a small group. I chose a book called Better Conversations (Knight, 2015). Why? Too often, I interacted with leaders who lacked effective communication skills. It didn’t surprise me when I read that a Gallup 2013 Survey question – At work, do my opinions seem to count? – placed teachers at the bottom of the list (Knight, 2015). That is, teachers feel their opinions are less valued than all blue-collar, service, and healthcare workers. No wonder I struggled to feel heard!

Feeling heard means listening?

As I dug into Better Conversations (Knight, 2015) the first habit wasn’t about being heard at all. Rather, it was about listening with empathy. Really? Listening in order to feel heard? This chapter started to help me consider whether I was truly a good listener.

You see, I’ve never been one to shy away from a difficult conversation. When I first started working in GCISD, I had to take the Gallup Strengths Finder and my greatest strength is Empathy. I am great at feeling out the “vibe” in the room, encouraging people to express their feelings, and encouraging deep conversations.

Image from Clifton Strengths Finder (2018).

Yet I definitely still worry more about being HEARD than about how well I am listening.

Becoming the master of my stories.

I think this is where crucial conversations come into play. I may be good at listening, but how well do I listen when the stakes are high? In my post Don’t Be a Virus: Master Your Story (2022), I tell a story about an experience where I didn’t communicate my needs. I talk about the story I was telling myself and how, in spite of working so hard with Cognitive Behavior Therapy over the years, I still struggle with the stories I make up in my head. Why don’t I feel heard? Simple – I still struggle listening to myself, especially when the stakes are high. I also recognize that Crucial Conversations (Patterson et al., 2012) offers a path to improving the habits mentioned in Better Conversations (Knight, 2015). Namely, using those empathy skills to provide me the attention I’m looking for.

A brief summary of Crucial Conversations.

Are you having those crucial conversations? 

When I notice a conversation with varied opinions, strong emotions, or high stakes, I work to use my crucial conversation muscles. For example, when a peer recently pushed against a process I created, I kept it factual. She continued to push against the process. I responded by focusing on what I wanted – a clear process AND mutual respect. I also created a mutual purpose. When she criticized the process, I explored her path and we agreed on a better workflow. I was proud of myself and we now had a better understanding of a ticketing workflow.

Do you have the strength of confidence to go down that path? 

You know what? I don’t have the strength… YET. I will use crucial conversations and my Growth Mindset plan to continue to build my confidence as a leader.

Growing a Growth Mindset in Grapevine-Colleyville ISD

Are you using the crucial conversation tools to build a strategy? 

For now, my focus is to practice mastering my stories during crucial conversations. Specifically, when I notice hurt, anger, or sadness, I will pay attention. That is, I will retrace my Path to Action:

Photo from CrucialLearning.com

I will pause, take a breath, and ask myself the questions in Crucial Conversations (Patterson et al., 2012, 112):

  • “Am I in some form of silence or violence?”
  • “What emotions are encouraging me to act this way?”
  • “What story is creating these emotions?”
  • “What evidence do I have to support this story?”

With practice, I can improve the way I am listening to myself during crucial conversations.

Discover the answers from within.

“All the wonders you seek are within yourself.”

Sir Thomas Browne

Through trials and tribulations over the course of my life, I have learned I can turn inward for every answer I seek. As I take steps toward a leadership role, I realize that this still rings true. Whether I’m practicing empathy, listening, or flexing crucial conversation muscles, I need to trust myself to lead. As soon as I do my confidence will shine forth to light the way for others.

References

Clifton Strengths. (2018). Your CliftonStrengths 34 Results. Gallup, Inc.

Knight, J. (2015). Better Conversations: Coaching Ourselves and Each Other to Be More Credible, Caring, and Connected. SAGE Publications.

Patterson, K., Grenny, J., Switzler, A., & McMillan, R. (2012). Crucial Conversations Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High, Second Edition. McGraw-Hill Education.

Stateler, K. (2022, March 2). Don’t Be a Virus: Master Your Story. Cookies N Cache. https://karinstateler.com/?p=712

5302 & 5304: Contributions to the Learning Environment

Posted on by karinst8ler
Stephen Lewis
Kimberly Purvis
Photo by Mikel Parera on Unsplash

5302 & 5304 Grades: 97/100 (97%)

As I entered the second semester of the ADL graduate program, I was much more confident and prepared to take on the role of learner and leader. I am proud to say that I went to the first class with the necessary reading completed and my first blog post done. While I was very prepared physically, I was not prepared for how much I would grow this semester. While I eventually slid back into the habit of submitting my work on time rather than early, I realize that it is because I needed the time to process the heavy, higher-order thinking. Again, I am proud of what I accomplished and grateful for the opportunity to learn.

Key Contributions

Glows & Grows

Glows:

This semester started off rough for me – I received my first “B” on an assignment. On the Why assignment in 5304, I mistakingly modeled my work from an exemplar instead of thinking it through for myself. Therefore, my grade reflected my lack of thinking. Using the growth mindset thinking I learned in 5302, I took some time to reflect. Why did I do poorly?

  • I realized that I was so worried about the workload this semester that I was rushing to get the work done instead of committing to learning.
  • I also realized that I didn’t really know why I wanted to go paperless.

As usual, the structure of this program is such that over the semester, I gained clarity on my Why. The final blog post for 5302 reminded me of Simon Sinek’s Golden Circle. It was then that my ideas came together, and I gained clarity on my Why.

Grows:

In my contribution for learning in 5303 and 5305, I shared that I turn my “grows” into goals that I can implement! Those goals were:

  • Build confidence: I can implement my plan innovatively! I know that I have the right pieces in place.
  • Increase flexibility: I am going to listen to feedforward regarding my innovation plan for the paperless office. It will keep me from getting stuck. I definitely have room for improvement here.

I believe that both goals remain consistent with my work in 5302 and 5304. As I grow as a leader, I will continue to build confidence in my abilities. Also, I will continue to hold my ideas loosely that I am open to change – then I can refrain from getting stuck.

Collaboration 

I am proud to be a part of two collaborative groups for 5302 and 5304. The larger group consists of Charlie, Kelvin, Ileana, Erica, Andrea, Kim, Stephen, Danielle, Pedro, Andre, and others. I am a self-identified empath. That is, I enjoy helping others so much that I have to work to identify my own needs. This semester, I kicked up my involvement in the larger group. For example, I took notes during each 5302 and 5304 class and shared them with everyone in our chat. I also supported my peers who had questions, shared my work with my peers, and participated heavily in class and on discussion boards.

In our smaller group, I continue to develop professional and personal friendships with Stephen and Kim. The three of us – coined by Stephen “The Three Amigos” – rarely go a day without chatting. I continue to grow with each assignment we share. In the final blog post for 5302, I talk about what I learned from blogging, though I believe it holds true for collaborative work as well. That is, I’ve learned not to compare. Stephen and Kim both come with strong skillsets and unique backgrounds. These skillsets and backgrounds are different from mine. While I could compare to them, I would most certainly miss out on the opportunity to learn alongside them. As I continue to practice non-comparison, I think about how important that skill is as a self-differentiated leader. I also recognize that employing growth mindset thinking will improve my self-talk.

To continue to hone my collaborative skills, I am going to consider taking notes and sharing them with everyone in the course in Blackboard.

Revisions

I made revisions constantly based on comparison and feedforward from my peers and from class, 1-on-1 meetings, and feedforward from Dr. H and Dr. Grogan. Examples include:

  • As I tighten up my ePortfolio for my final grade, I improved my front page.
  • I continue to edit my blog format.
  • I improved my Why assignment! My confidence grows daily.
  • After meeting with Dr. Grogan, I felt much more confident in how to employ my Influencer Strategy. 
  • In an e•mail with Dr. H, I clarified the expectations for the Growth Mindset assignment.
  • Finally, my drafts were continually changing with the support and feedforward of my group. 

This semester, I read every book, watched every video that I found, and read most of the other required readings listed in the Classroom Modules in Blackboard. My intention in grad school – and in life really – is to keep learning, reading, reflecting, and connecting as long as I can. I see this as a constant need for improvement. I met all of the various course deadlines.

Supporting Contributions

Leadership Responsibility, Participation, and Communication

I have always loved to write. One of the reasons I decided to go to grad school was because I wanted to write with purpose. Early in the ADL program, I used each discussion board topic as a chance to blog. This is the basis of my learning in ADL – the opportunity to reflect and connect “dots,” or big ideas. By modeling my learning process, I believe I help others grow. Not a week goes by without a comment on one of my discussion board posts about how much someone enjoys my writing or how much they learned. That’s not to brag, more to reflect the importance of the active role I take in my own learning. Really, the active (or inactive) role any of us takes in our learning.

As I said, I love to write. However, I feel like I am unable to put into words how much the ADL program means to me. The connections I make – from people to ideas – continue to push me to be a better leader, communicator, and person.

Lizard Brains and Long Threads: Making Connections to Identify “My Why”

Posted on by karinst8ler

Photo by amirali mirhashemian on Unsplash

The Head Won’t Go Where the Heart Hasn’t Been

Every time I watch Simon Sinek (2009) share his talk Start with Why I gain something new and different. Because of this, I’m glad that this video is part of the final discussion post for this semester because it weaves a thread through the ideas in the ADL program so perfectly. It all comes back to the Golden Circle: People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it. Why? When trying to make any change – whether applying new learning in a grad school program or implementing meaningful change in an organization – leaders must speak to the why or the purpose.

This is based on how the brain works: The why and how both speak to the limbic brain or the part of the brain that is linked to behavior. Also known as the “Lizard Brain,” the limbic brain is void of language capabilities and based heavily on feelings, particularly anger and fear. On the other hand, the neocortex deals with the what of things. That is to say, it deals with rational thought and language. When it comes to behavior change, the limbic brain is far more dominant, therefore it’s safe to say that is the portion of the brain we want to reach. The ADL program truly exemplifies these concepts.

Why ePortfolios?

It’s about learning.

Whenever I navigate to Dr. H’s site, I am reminded why we are learning what we’re learning. Dr. H both is a true influencer: He models all of the concepts he expects and creates every “assignment” himself before asking us to make our own. Take the ePortfolio as an example. Dr. H’s ePortfolio is a valuable exemplar of how we may move into continued professional use of our own ADL ePortfolio. As I consider why the ePortfolio is such a meaningful tool, I look to the ISTE standards (International Society for Technology in Education, n.d.):

ISTE Standards

1.1 Empowered LearnerStudents leverage technology to take an active role in choosing, achieving, and demonstrating competency in their learning goals, informed by the learning sciences.
1.2 Digital CitizenStudents recognize the rights, responsibilities, and opportunities of living, learning, and working in an interconnected digital world, and they act and model in ways that are safe, legal, and ethical.
1.3 Knowledge ConstructorStudents critically curate a variety of resources using digital tools to construct knowledge, produce creative artifacts, and make meaningful learning experiences for themselves and others.
1.4 Innovative DesignerStudents use a variety of technologies within a design process to identify and solve problems by creating new, useful, or imaginative solutions.
1.5 Computational ThinkerStudents develop and employ strategies for understanding and solving problems in ways that leverage the power of technological methods to develop and test solutions.
1.6 Creative CommunicatorStudents communicate clearly and express themselves creatively for a variety of purposes using the platforms, tools, styles, formats, and digital media appropriate to their goals.
1.7 Global CollaboratorStudents use digital tools to broaden their perspectives and enrich their learning by collaborating with others and working effectively in teams locally and globally.

I know that I incorporate each standard any time I work in my ePortfolio. For example, any time I reconsider and tinker with the look and feel of my website, I use innovative designer skills. Also, when I have to solve problems, I employ strategies of computational thinkers. Finally, every aspect of my ePortfolio challenges how I communicate creatively. Just think of the implications if all students used an ePortfolio1

How have you incorporated elements of the COVA model into your ePortfolio?

According to Thibodeaux et al. (2017, p. 1), “research indicates that ePortfolios make learning visible and encourage learners to engage in deeper, integrated learning.” This is due to the application of COVA – choice, ownership, and voice applied to authentic learning environments. How have I incorporated these concepts in my ePortfolio?

Choice: WordPress or Wix? Blues and greys or Reds and Blacks? Header AND Footer? Every choice I make is 100% up to me.

Ownership: Early on I was handed the reigns to my ePortfolio and told to build it to my liking. I LITERALLY own my own name as a domain: karinstateler.com.

Voice: Yesterday, a classmate commented on the way my site continues to improve every time she sees it. I love tweaking and experimenting. Concerning my blog, I started to make each discussion post a blog before I copied it onto the discussion board. Because of my early focus on writing, I notice a development in my ideas and my ability to share them.

Authentic learning environments: As Dr. H says, “Nothing we do in class is make work!” The learning environment is authentic because I’m applying it at my office.

What is the most valuable lesson you have learned thus far?

Reflect to Connect – What I’ve Learned From Blogging:

I’ve always loved to write. In fact, one of the reasons I’ve loved grad school so much is that I can write with a purpose instead of just journaling my thoughts and feelings in a stream of consciousness. What have I learned from blogging?

I’ve learned about myself as a learner.

Like most learners, I like to organize ideas in a way that makes sense to me. I like to outline and move information around. Also, I like to find odd connections with thoughts and resources I’ve read before.

I’ve learned that I like time to process.

I can be quick and witty, sure. But I always appreciate and sometimes truly need time to process. For example, sometimes I’ll organize my thoughts and close my computer. I find that going for a walk gives my brain time to sort ideas and I always come back with a fresh perspective or one solution to a quandary.

I’ve learned not to compare.

My journey is different from everyone else’s. I instantly think of my two closest classmates. They are in different situations than I am, have different career experiences, and possess different strengths. While I certainly can compare to them, I think I would miss out on the learning opportunities presented in every discussion board conversation.

Getting Clear on My Why

I’ll be really honest here: The first assignment we had to do for 5304 – Develop Your Why – is one of the most difficult assignments I completed so far in this journey. This is because I didn’t really know why I want to “go paperless.” That is, I don’t always connect with this concept. Why? Well, it sounds kind of… boring. I look at my peers tackling online blended learning for adults or creating ePortfolios with their peers and I think, “Paperless? That’s so 90s.” I also believe that this is the most important assignment I’ve done. Through blogging, reflecting, discussing, reading, and connecting, I finally think I get Why I want to go paperless and Why it truly IS important: It’s about learning.

My ^New Why: Our growth-oriented mindset is pervasive – it goes beyond the traditional approach to meet students where they are using a learning environment that fits their needs.

It’s about learning.

References

International Society for Technology in Education. (n.d.). ISTE Standards: Students. ISTE. Retrieved March 7, 2022, from https://www.iste.org/standards/iste-standards-for-students

Sinek, S. (2009, September 29). Start with why — how great leaders inspire action | Simon Sinek | TEDxPugetSound. YouTube. Retrieved March 7, 2022, from https://youtu.be/u4ZoJKF_VuAThibodeaux, T., Cummings, C., & Harapnuik, D. (2017). Factors that Contribute to ePortfolio Persistence. International Journal of ePortfolio, 7(1), 1-12. http://www.theijep.com/pdf/IJEP257.pdf

Connect → Collaborate → Comprehend → Create

Posted on by karinst8ler

“Technology is just a tool. It’s a powerful tool, but it’s just a tool. Deep human connection is very different. It’s not a tool. It’s not a means to an end. It is the end – the purpose and the result of a meaningful life.”

Melinda Gates, Philanthropist (Gates et al., 2013).
Created by Karin Stateler

Professional Learning Networks for Continual Professional Growth

In a digital age with information literally at our fingertips, it is important to model continual professional learning for students and peers as we move toward organizational change. One way to encourage such learning is through Professional Learning Networks or PLNs. What is a PLN? According to Three Steps for Building a Professional Learning Network (Crowley & Chaffey, 2014), it is a “vibrant, ever-changing group of connections to which teachers go to both share and learn,” including, “organizations, communities, and individuals who help me learn and grow as a professional.” They are not only useful to keep up with everchanging technology but as a way to create authentic learning environments for students and network in your career.

Why Professional Learning Networks Work for You

As all learners young and old begin to question facts, PLNs create learning partnerships between and among professionals and learners (Fullan et al., 2014). They also re-structure the learning toward purposeful knowledge creation (Fullan et al., 2014). Finally, the right PLN utilizes, “digital tools and resources that enable and accelerate the process of deep learning” (Fullan et al., 2014, p. 10).

How to Build or Choose the Right PLN

How should you go about building or choosing the right network for your needs? It’s simple – be intentional and dig deep! It is important that learners invest “time to find and connect with people they trust, who have shared interests and passions” (Crowley & Chaffey, 2014). Also, I suggest being open to change. Maybe you decide that a network that served you for a long time no longer meets your needs. On the same token, maybe you discover a new network that meets a different need as you grow in your career. It is important to remain reflective, as with any endeavor. Finally, take it slow! I need to remind myself often that I can’t eat the elephant all at once.

Selecting My Professional Learning Networks

Like I suggested, it is important to know yourself and your personal and professional needs. For me, the main categories I looked at so far are:

  • Educational Technology
  • Social Emotional Learning
  • Leadership

Now that I considered the categories I want to explore, Three Steps for Building a Professional Learning Network (Crowley & Chaffey, 2014) suggests three steps for identifying PLNs to meet my needs:

Annotated Bibliography of Professional Learning Networks

Step 1: Find the professionals.

Texas Computer Education Agency

TCEA is one of the largest global, nonprofit, member-based technology education organizations in the United States (TCEA, 2020). They support technology integration in schools through conventions, conferences, and events (TCEA, 2020). TCEA also provides innovative information for its members (TCEA, 2020). I was fortunate to attend the TCEA conference in Dallas in 2022!

International Society for Technology in Education

ITSE is the largest global, nonprofit, member-based technology education organization. They support technology integration in schools as a way to transform teaching and learning (ISTE, 2022). Their main areas of focus are professional learning, membership, events, community, and publishing. ISTE also provides standards akin to state standards and common core that focus on technology integration in the classroom.

Education Service Center Region 11

Region 11 provides “professional development, technical assistance, and management of education programs” to ten counties in Northeast Texas (ESC Region 11, 2021).

Step 2: Find your niche groups.

Region 11 North Texas Canvas User Group

ESC Region 11 also provides quarterly training in which Canvas administrators, district leaders, and teachers network to share best practices with Canvas integration in their schools. I attended one in fall 2021 and met many peers! My goal is to attend another meeting this March 2022.

Future Ready Leadership Academy

This year, I joined the inaugural group of aspiring leaders in Grapevine-Colleyville ISD by joining the Future Ready Leadership Academy. We meet monthly to discuss books, learn about leadership roles in the district, and discuss common leadership outcomes in GCISD. I am responsible for completing a capstone project that supports a district WIG. I plan to share my Professional Innovation Proposal, my Why, my Influencer Strategy, and how I plan on Installing the Four Disciplines of Execution.

Step 3: Find your PLN peers and mentors.

Mentors

  • Janie Stach: Director of Digital Learning in GCISD
  • Shylene Sanchez: Director of Technology Services in GCISD
  • Karen Seimears: Apple Coach with Grand Prairie ISD.
  • Tara Cahill: Executive Director of Technology in GPISD

Peers

  • Karsyn Jackson: Digital Learning Team Lead
  • Sarra Smith: My co-Digital Learning Specialist

Other Sources of Learning

Twitter

Podcasts

References

Crowley, B., & Chaffey, S. (2014, December 31). Three Steps for Building a Professional Learning Network (Opinion). Education Week. Retrieved March 3, 2022, from https://www.edweek.org/leadership/opinion-3-steps-for-building-a-professional-learning-network/2014/12

ESC Region 11. (2021). General Information / About Us. ESC Region 11. Retrieved March 3, 2022, from https://www.esc11.net/domain/3

Fullan, M., Langworthy, M., Barber, S. M., & Pearson. (2014, January). How New Pedagogies Find Deep Learning. Michael Fullan. Retrieved March 3, 2022, from http://www.michaelfullan.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/3897.Rich_Seam_web.pdf

Gates, M., Duke University, & New York Times. (2013, June 14). Gates’ Commencement Speech. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/video/us/100000002282497/gates-commencement-speech.html

ISTE. (2022). Be Bold with Us. ISTE. Retrieved March 3, 2022, from https://www.iste.org/about/about-iste

TCEA. (2020). Advancing Teaching and Learning Through Technology | About TCEA. TCEA. Retrieved March 3, 2022, from https://tcea.org/about

Don’t Be a Virus: Master Your Story

Posted on by karinst8ler

Hello, my name is Karin, and I am a “virus.”

Okay, so not really or I probably wouldn’t be in the ADL program at all. But I had a rough day today and it all comes back to crucial conversations and self-differentiated leadership.

You see, I share an office with 7 other people. It can be really tough to complete thought work when you’re in an office with so many people, but usually, I manage pretty well. Except for today. Today I had forgotten to take my special “focus assistance” medicine and I noticed. Anyway, I had a meeting in another office from 9-11 am. When I got back to my office, one of my teammates was on a Zoom call. I was talking in a normal voice, and another teammate quickly and politely let me know to keep it down. “Sure!” I whispered happily.

Fast-forward – When she got off of her call, the whole team started to be loud and boisterous. “I’m glad you’re off your call, we can finally talk!” a particularly fun teammate said, and they began to carry on about non-work topics.

Meanwhile, I was trying to work and focus. 

First, I tried to turn up my earbuds. Nope – couldn’t focus. Then, I tried huffing and puffing passive-aggressively to remind my teammates that I was still trying to focus. No dice. Finally, I mumbled about not being able to focus and stormed out of the office. I met another teammate outside and immediately started to vent. 

“Everyone will be quiet for Jennifer, but not for me!”

Self-Differentiated Leadership

I acted like a “virus” – that is, I tried to infect an uninvolved teammate with my anxiety (Camp, 2010). Another way of wording this is that I “triangled” my teammate (Camp, 2010). What does this mean? Instead of going to the source when I had a problem, I vented to someone uninvolved. Why did I do this?

Crucial conversations

Rewind – I love self-help books and personality tests. Last night as I read Crucial Conversations (Patterson et al., 2012), I excitedly answered the true-false questions in Chapter Four to determine my Style Under Stress (pp. 64-67). Truthfully, I had an idea and was hardly surprised when I scored high in all of the “silence” behaviors and in “controlling” under the “violence” behaviors. However, when I looked at my Dialogue Skills Assessment results, I was surprised to see that I didn’t mark any of the boxes in Chapter Six: Master My Stories (Patterson et al., 2012, p. 69).

Chapter Six and the Feeling Good Handbook

Why was I surprised? You see, Chapter Six is all about mastering your stories. In fact, Figure 6-2 shows The Path to Action, which is a typical Cognitive Behavior Therapy tool to help someone analyze and assess their actions and break the cycle of rumination. 

Photo from CrucialLearning.com

As Patterson et al., put it, “If we take control of our stories, they won’t control us” (2012, p. 111). I first learned of CBT from The Feeling Good Handbook (Burns, 2020) back in 2013 when I started my therapy journey. CBT involves the same concepts described in Chapter Six – retrace your path. When you notice a feeling, you are supposed to think about the story you’re telling yourself that caused that feeling. Then, review the facts, or what triggered the storytelling in the first place.

“How could I still need so much help in telling my story if I intentionally work at it so often?” I wondered. I think I might revisit my growth mindset blogs, as I hear some fixed mindset thinking popping up.

Growth Mindset: Useful Tool or Parlor Trick?
Too Close to Home
Growing a Growth Mindset in Grapevine-Colleyville ISD

As soon as I said the words, I wished I could take them back.

Fast forward again. Why did I turn up my earbuds, mumble passive-aggressively, and snap about the noise in the office? Because I didn’t Master My Story. If I retrace my steps, the story I was telling myself was that my team didn’t respect me as much as they respected each other and that I wasn’t important enough to “tone it down” for. The facts were that my team was boisterous after another teammate got off of a call. Also, it was noon, so it was lunchtime. Meanwhile, I had forgotten to take my medicine and I wasn’t expressing my needs.

My teammate suggested that I was valid in my feelings. Then, she said, “You always empower me to take charge. I want to empower you to express your needs.” I told her, “Thank you. What I need right now is to go home, take my medicine, and accept personal responsibility for my part in this.” When I got back to the office, I messaged my teammates and took responsibility for my behavior. I didn’t tell them the story I was making up, however, I did tell them that I would work on expressing my needs.

Because in the end, we’re all going to face anxiety in leadership. It’s how you respond when you notice that defines you as a leader.

References

Burns, D. D. (2020). The Feeling Good Handbook: The Groundbreaking Program with Powerful New Techniques and Step-By-Step Exercises to Overcome Depression, Conquer Anxiety, and Enjoy Greater Intimacy. Penguin Publishing Group.

Camp, J. (2010, November 10). Friedman’s Theory of Differentiated Leadership Made Simple. YouTube. Retrieved March 1, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgdcljNV-Ew

Patterson, K., Grenny, J., Switzler, A., & McMillan, R. (2012). Crucial Conversations Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High, Second Edition. McGraw-Hill Education.

4DX: Baby Steps, Big Results

Posted on by karinst8ler

In my new role as a Digital Learning Specialist, I have a lot of variability in my job and I absolutely love what I do. I am responsible for managing the help desk for the Digital Learning team. Also, I spend a lot of time managing communication for our team, whether that is internal communication between departments or externally on Twitter. Finally, the bulk of my work is project-based, so I spend some of my day organizing and completing tasks toward a larger project. Unfortunately, I spend a lot of time managing the whirlwind of the day-to-day tasks and I don’t always make as much headway on projects as I would like, let alone acknowledge my impact on our district’s WIGs.

What is the whirlwind and why does it get in the way of successfully implementing behavioral change? 

Photo by Nadeena Granville on Unsplash

According to Chris McChesney (2011), the Whirlwind is “all of the work, energy, and attention necessary to maintain the operation.” It is urgent, systemic, and highly habitual. Take technology help tickets as an example of my Whirlwind. Help tickets will keep coming in whether I pay attention to them or not. Also, if I don’t give them the right amount of attention, my boss will hear about it, ergo I will hear about it. Our long-term change goals sit in opposition to these daily tasks. McChesney (2011) says that these goals to move an organization forward get in the way of the Whirlwind of tasks that pile up when we ignore them. In fact, most meaningful initiatives that require significant systemic and behavioral change are “choked and starved by the whirlwind” (McChesney, 2011).

How does 4DX recommend you compensate for the whirlwind? 

To make any significant organizational change, we need to get intentional about planning and executing our goals. The book The 4 Disciplines of Execution (McChesney et al., 2015) implores us to apply The 4 Disciplines of Execution.

1: Focus on the Wildly Important

The first discipline is about goal setting. You should focus your energy on one to three simple goals. Why? “Human beings are genetically hardwired to do one thing at a time with excellence” (McChesney et al., 2015, p. 25). This means that any more than three goals and your team is spread too thin.

2: Act on the Lead Measures

The focus of the second discipline is on what to measure and why. It is important to acknowledge lag and lead measures, but to act on lead measures. Lag measures denote the success of the WIG, but by the time you see them the performance that drove them has passed, while lead measures track activities that drive a lag measure (McChesney, 2016). In this sense, they are predictive and act as the lever to move your lag goal (McChesney et al., 2015). Why do humans often pay more attention to the lag goal? 

3: Keep a Compelling Scoreboard

Creating a compelling scoreboard is all about motivation! Why? It’s all about the power of small wins in lead goals (McChesney et al., 2015). People notably perform best when they are engaged emotionally, and the highest level of engagement comes when people know if they are winning or losing (McChesney, 2016). The best scoreboard is designed for & by the players and should show, “where you are, where you should be, and the ultimate goal” (McChesney, 2016).

4: Create a Cacdence of Accountability

Last but certainly not least is the concept of accountability through in form of WIG meetings. A WIG meeting is a brief daily-weekly meeting focused solely on the WIGs. The driving question in a WIG meeting is, “What are the one or two most important things I can do this week that will have the biggest impact on the scoreboard?” (McChesney, 2016). Team members focus on their contribution to the goal in the form of bite-size tasks. It is important to note that individuals have choice and ownership over these commitments.

I know that I’ll always struggle with the Whirlwind.

The moment I open an email or look at the help desk, I’m sucked back into the flow of day to day tasks. Daily tasks are like hard-to-break habits – they are a part of us. That’s why 4DX is so important. Applied correctly, 4DX can make lead goals a part of the routine. And when that goal has become a habit, we can move onto another one. Like I said in From Cog to Metacognition: My Story (Stateler, 2022), you eat an elephant one bite at a time.

How can you incorporate these concepts intentionally as we all work toward meaningful structural change in our organizations? 

References

McChesney, C. (2011, July 26). Move Your Middle – Chris McChesney. YouTube. Retrieved February 21, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3ThJ5b3vww

McChesney, C. (2016, December 29). The 4 Disciplines of Execution in a Nutshell. YouTube. Retrieved February 21, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEJDliThj7g

McChesney, C., Huling, J., & Covey, S. (2015). The 4 Disciplines of Execution: Achieving Your Wildly Important Goals. Simon & Schuster UK Limited.

Stateler, K. (2022, February 21). From Cog to Metacognition: My Story. Cookies N Cache. https://karinstateler.com/?p=619

From Cog to Metacognition: My Story

Posted on by karinst8ler

Just a small-town girl

I grew up somewhat poor in a small town with a strong sense of community and family. When I entered school, I was quickly labeled gifted. It was the mid-eighties, and well-intended self-esteem culture ruled the day. I was constantly told how smart I was and how well I followed directions. I lived for those moments. However, when I was corrected for inappropriate behavior or when I received a sub-par grade, I felt an intense sense of shame. In one particular instance, a teacher shamed me to the point that I spent my entire recess by myself on the tire swing crying. That memory is so vivid that I remember what I was wearing – a purple Alaska t-shirt with walruses on it and a pair of acid-washed jeans with a post-manufacture hole in the knee.

Welcome to the real world

While I did go through some rebellious phases, my behavior was overall lauded. I learned how to fit into the mold. My grades in middle and high school were such that I easily got into Michigan State University. Moving from such a small town to a large university was a culture shock. I was no longer “one of the smart kids,” rather I was one of 45,000 students. Also, I had no clue how to learn, study, or manage my time.

Take my introduction chemistry class for example. I skipped the lecture-style class half of the time. There were 600 kids in the class and I knew that the professor wasn’t taking attendance. I barely cracked the book and cheated my way through the homework. Meanwhile, I was surprised when I failed my first test. I remember holding the test and crying in the elevator back up to my dorm room. 

Just another brick in the wall

Because I was “smart” – or rather, good at playing the game – I figured out how to fit into the mold at Michigan State, too. In my education classes, I learned about how to learn and quickly applied those concepts to other coursework. And just like a good little cog, I graduated and entered the workforce.

What is the purpose of school?

The current purpose of school really can’t be separated from the original purpose of school. According to Seth Godin (2012), schools, as they exist now, are products of the Industrial Age. You see, there weren’t enough workers for the age of mass production. “Not enough people were willing to move off of the farms and do what they were told” (Godin, 2012). If industries could get more workers, they could pay them less and make more profit. We can also apply this concept to consumption. Industry wanted to train us to buy stuff, to fit in, and become consumers so that we would buy all of the stuff they made (Godin, 2012). Enter “high school for everyone.” Students go into the school as young, moldable minds. Then, the system uses routine, grades, and standardization in an attempt to create minions molded to fit into careers. These careers support the system as it is, capitalism, consumption, and the cycle of “stuff.”

The problem is, people aren’t mass-manufactured products.

Humans are complex. They have unique genetics, experiences, and complex minds. And, “although the teacher may help his student in many ways, it is the student himself who must do the learning. Knowledge must grow in his mind if learning is to take place” (Adler & Van Doren, 1972, p. 11). While the attempt to mass-produce humans to fit a societal mold has worked for a select few, in the long-term it is not sustainable for either humankind or for the planet.

Photo by Possessed Photography on Unsplash

Enter technology: “Now we don’t need a human in front of us to teach us to do something” (Godin, 2012). Once COVID hit, I could see technology as the springboard for meaningful educational change. I started using videos to engage with students. That video creation pushed my career forward – now I’m part of the Digital Learning team in GCISD. When I discovered the ADL program I thought, “This sounds perfect!” I was excited to ride the wave of technology into the future. What I expected was school as I have experienced it before. What I’m learning is how to change the world.

Connecting the dots

What is Applied Digital Learning at Lamar University? With constructivist theory at its base, the ADL program seeks to “create a significant learning environment by giving learners choice, ownership, and voice through authentic learning experiences” (Harapnuik, 2021) According to constructivist theory, “effective learning is an active process in which the learner takes responsibility for making meaningful connections. The teacher guides the learner in making those connections through the creation of a significant learning environment” (Harapnuik, 2021). How have our professors applied these concepts to revolutionalize learning?

Walk the Talk

My learning has been revolutionalized through extensive metacognition. As I learn concepts on educational change, I directly apply them to my work. I chose the focus – Paperless Office, Paperless District. I also get to choose how I demonstrate my learning – read more about my journey with WordPress! Finally, collaboration is a necessity. I rarely go a day without chatting with teammates or reviewing the discussion boards. Technology is but the vehicle for my learning. This is probably the most difficult, fulfilling work I have ever done in my life. It is uncomfortable because it is so different from what I expected and know about schooling. 

It is rewarding because the concepts we are connecting aren’t just “facts.” Rather we are completing meaningful projects that could make real, significant changes in the world.

How do you eat an elephant?

The COVA model could work toward fixing the issues identified with traditional models of teaching and learning.  How can move forward with this change? I can see it. I can taste it. But do I have the patience and strength to make this change? These ideas aren’t new, but they are big and would require significant systemic change. Michael Fullan (2014) suggests “moving toward the danger” on your own terms. He refers to the delicate push-pull balance between the psychology of the system Industrialism created and the promise of technology. Giovanni Corazza (2014) suggests spurts of thinking outside of the box. He states that, “a quick jump out of the box is more insightful than a lifetime of standard thinking” (Corazza, 2014). In other words, you eat an elephant one bite at a time.

Day Two

Thinking about it overwhelms me to a degree that I can’t express here. I just want to change it all now! Quickly! I recognize that it’s because we are in the messy middle. Dr. Brené Brown (2020) calls this “Day Two” or “The Messy Middle.” She likens the messy middle to Act Two in any hero’s journey. During Act Two, the protagonist tries to find, “every comfortable way to solve the problem, every easy way to solve the problem, and every way to solve the problem that does not require hero’s vulnerability” (Brown, 2020). Only when the hero reaches the “lowest of the low do they realize that they can’t solve the problem without vulnerability” (Brown, 2020).

Image from https://conorneill.com/.

 

Right now, we are on Day Two with so many world issues; education is just one of them. In other words, to change the problem that is school, we must work through the messy middle. We must get vulnerable. We must apply the concepts of constructivist learning through COVA + CSLE if we truly want to prepare our students for a future that doesn’t yet exist. And we must move forward with authenticity and humanity.

Only then will we be able to eat that elephant.

One bite at a time.

References

Adler, M. J., & Van Doren, C. (1972). How to read a book (C. Van Doren, Ed.). Touchstone.

Brown, B. (2020, September 2). Brené on Day 2 – Brené Brown. Brene Brown. Retrieved February 20, 2022, from https://brenebrown.com/podcast/brene-on-day-2/

Corazza, G. (2014, March 11). Creative thinking – how to get out of the box and generate ideas: Giovanni Corazza at TEDxRoma. YouTube. Retrieved February 20, 2022, from https://youtu.be/bEusrD8g-dM

Fullan, M. (2014, January 20). Michael Fullan: Technology, the new pedagogy and flipped teaching. YouTube. Retrieved February 20, 2022, from https://youtu.be/GCvwtiOH0co

Godin, S. (2012, October 16). STOP STEALING DREAMS: Seth Godin at TEDxYouth@BFS. YouTube. Retrieved February 20, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXpbONjV1Jc

Harapnuik, D. (2021, January 8). Applied Digital Learning. It’s About Learning. Retrieved February 20, 2022, from https://www.harapnuik.org/?page_id=8517

Harapnuik, D. (2021, August 16). What to Expect from the ADL. It’s About Learning. Retrieved February 20, 2022, from https://www.harapnuik.org/?page_id=8524

Paperless Plans: Harnessing People Power!

Posted on by karinst8ler

A few days ago, I was walking past the Chief Technology Officer’s office and he asked me to come in to talk to him. No matter how approachable and wonderful he is, my heart still races when he wants to talk to me. He is an influencer to the “T.” Not only is he a big wig in GCISD, but he is well known amongst his peers as well.

I walked into his office and sat down.

Last week I had shared my ePortfolio with him in chat. I shared it really casually. My message said something like, “Hey, here’s a thing I’ve been working on. Have a good one!” and I plopped in my website. The CTO had looked over my proposal and had a lot to share on reducing paper usage across the district! With a great deal of vulnerability, I confessed to him that I didn’t know if I had what it takes. He quickly replied that I might not have the confidence yet, but learning to influence others takes time and practice. Not only was he demonstrating his support for my ideas – by such an important organizational influencer to boot – but he was also demonstrating a growth mindset. In all, our conversation reminded me that 1) I am an influencer and 2) big changes require intentional planning.

What does it take to get people to change?

Everyone knows that making big structural changes is difficult. Year after year, we see people create new year’s resolutions only to abandon them moments later. The video All Washed Up! (Grenny, 2009) explores what it takes to make people change by observing the habits of children using hand sanitizer before eating a cupcake. The experimenters add sources of influence one at a time. It surprised me that it took three sources to make the slightest difference in the number of kids sanitizing their hands before eating. Even then, only three of the 12 participants sanitized their hands! The real kicker came when the fourth source of influence was added: The social motivation of a peer speaking up. At that moment, all 12 children sanitized their hands before eating a cupcake. Again, this only happened once four of the six sources of influence were included in the experiment.

The Tipping Point: Peer Influence

Peer influence was the straw that broke the camel’s back, so to speak. This doesn’t come as a surprise to me. Think about the concept of the Bystander Effect. When a crime is witnessed, why do witnesses fail to stop it? In 1968, Bibb Latane and John Darley concluded that the more witnesses, the less likely each individual will intervene (Bibb & Darley, 1968). Logically, my brain tells me that I would try to help, but statistically, I know that I probably wouldn’t. But what if just one person stepped up? “The intervention of bystanders is often the only reason why bullying and other crimes cease” (Psychology Today, n.d.). When just one person steps up, others are more likely to act as well (Psychology Today, n.d.).

All of this demonstrates the power of peer influence in a social situation.

People Power!

In the video Influencer, Cricket Buchler (2008) says that we nee to “harness the power of social pressure by finding strength – rather than resistance – in numbers.” How can we harness this power? Buchler (2008) has three suggestions: 

  • #1: Pave the way by modeling behavior.
  • #2: Enlist the power of those who motivate, also called opinion leaders.
  • #3: Seek the support of enablers.

I can definitely think of people in my sphere that are opinion leaders and enablers!

Going Deeper: Analyzing the Influencer Model

Okay, now we know how many sources of influence are required and we understand the power of social influence. What does each of these sources of influence really mean? How does social influence fit into the equation? In the powerful image below, the authors of Influencer (Maxfield et al., 2013) outline the six sources of influence into a data table of sorts.

Image from Influencer: The Power to Change Anything (Heine, 2018).

Across the top of the table, there are two categories: Motivation and ability. Motivation represents a desire to act on new behaviors, while ability represents whether a person, group, or environment has the capacity. The left side of the table represents the person, people, or environment in which the behavior takes place. In other words, each person, group, or environmental structure is analyzed based on whether there is motivation and ability to enact behavioral change. Once we determine the vital behaviors, we can support each vital behavior by thinking about it through the lens of personal motivation, personal ability, social motivation, social ability, structural motivation, and structural ability.

Paperless Office, Paperless District: Applying What I Learned

The placement of this post made me wonder if I “should” post first and brainstorm or if I “should” complete the Influencer, Part B assignment and come back to this. I will be honest here – I watched all of the videos related to this module, reviewed the book Influencer (Maxfield et al., 2013), and outlined my Six Sources of Influence before writing this post. I really had to dig into the information and define and apply the sources of influence, before I could reflect on my application. This makes sense of course – I started in lower areas of Bloom’s and built my way up.

In the image below, I demonstrate generally how I will apply each source of influence:

Image created by Karin Stateler (2022).

I will use my power of personal influence to tell the story of a paperless office and how it can support our goal of a blended district. I will incorporate deliberate practice into team meetings to demonstrate best practices of a paperless environment. Regarding social influence, I’ve identified three people of focus – two opinion leaders and one enabler. I plan to involve the opinion leaders with specific tasks. For example, one will offer support by sharing her thoughts on a specific process that needs to change. Another will offer her support as a thinking partner and behavior model. The enabler will require a lot of support through the transition that I will gladly provide! I plan on using extrinsic motivation sparingly and still don’t have a great plan for how I’ll apply it. Do I really need one? Finally, I’ll share the data I collect at our bi-weekly team meetings.

As this plan comes together, I am astounded that it’s actually happening. Like anything else, leadership is a learned skill, and I’m learning how to lead. I think I finally understand why 5304 was paired with 5302. It’s all about the power of YET.

References

Bibb, L., & Darley, J. M. (1968). Group Inhibition of Bystander Intervention in Emergencies. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 10(3), 215-221.

Buchler, C. (2012, December 17). Influencer | Cricket Buchler. YouTube. Retrieved January 31, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wu7UBY5euBg

Grenny, H. (2009, September 21). All Washed Up! YouTube. Retrieved January 31, 2022, from https://youtu.be/osUwukXSd0k

Heine, B. (2018, December 18). Influencer: The Power to Change Anything. Professional Business Coaches. Retrieved February 3, 2022, from https://theprofessionalbusinesscoaches.com/influencer-the-power-to-change-anything/

Maxfield, D., Patterson, K., Switzler, A., Grenny, J., & McMillan, R. (2013). Influencer: The New Science of Leading Change, Second Edition (Paperback). McGraw-Hill Education.Psychology Today. (n.d.). Understanding the Bystander Effect. Psychology Today. Retrieved February 3, 2022, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/bystander-effect

Seeking a Brave New Mindset

Posted on by karinst8ler

Last night, my husband and I were talking about all of the problems in public education. He is a science teacher approaching retirement – he only has 2.5 years left – and he has a lot of opinions. Right now, our biggest concern at this time is the teacher shortage. Due to increased requirements, fear of COVID, and rambunctious student behavior, people are leaving education in droves. And who can blame them? If I have one true career goal or vision, it would be to solve these problems.

Visionary New Schools

Over the course of the next 12 years, I want to be an integral part of a structural overhaul of the education system to one of individualized student learning through a blended model. Innovative, personalized, blended learning could:

  • Improve behavior by motivating students with a personalized, self-controlled learning environment.
  • Increase the respect, planning time, and pay of teachers by hiring fewer teachers and changing their roles.
  • Incorporate paraprofessionals to monitor students during flexible work time as needed.
  • Restore the joy and art of teaching by allowing teachers to focus on designing curriculum and assessing student needs in one-to-one or small group settings.

What are we waiting for? What’s the hold-up?

I know what my personal holdup is: FEAR. 

Imagine a wheelbarrow carrying rocks or dirt or whatever back and forth between two places. If that wheelbarrow followed the exact same path for a long period of time, over time a rut would build. As time passed, the rut would get deeper and deeper. Eventually, it would be hard for the wheelbarrow to veer off of the rut. The wheelbarrow would be stuck – it would require hard work to move it out of the rut.

Throughout childhood, our mindsets are developed much the same way. We learn patterns that are hard to unlearn. If those patterns are centered around growth mindset thinking – the belief that you can cultivate intelligence over time – that’s probably okay. Unfortunately, many people developed a “rut” in at least one area of their life that represents fixed mindset thinking – a belief “that your qualities are carved in stone” (Dweck, 2007, pp. 6).

I generally have a growth mindset. For example, When I was in the classroom I loved experimenting with lessons and tactics to motivate students. When they didn’t work, I went back to the drawing board. I also looked at feedback as a chance to grow. However, now that I’m in a leadership position, I feel like I’m back at square one and my mindset sounds very fixed. As I think about implementing my Paperless Office, Paperless District innovation plan, my mind is a flurry of negativity. “What if I can’t do it? No one will listen to me. Why do you think anyone should listen to you? Ridiculous!” So far, I’m keeping the voices at bay. However, I really want to work to change my mindset!

The Fear Zone

The moment I first read about growth and fixed mindset, I thought of a graphic that represented learning as an arrow moving through the comfort zone, fear zone, learning zone, and growth zone. The first time I came across this image was in 2013. At the time, I was in a new teaching position at a school. Because of this, I struggled a lot with student behavior and motivation. However, this image helped me understand that I was in the Fear Zone. I realized that this is why I felt so stuck, like I didn’t know what to do.

Image from Moving from the Fear Zone to the Growth Zone (Maxwell, 2020).

It’s very common to feel stuck when we are faced with new situations. “As new challenges arise, our ability to learn and grow is put to the test. We begin to dwell on our fears and seek to get some kind of control” (Maxwell, 2020). The author continues, describing fear as “a wall that blocks us” (Maxwell, 2020). That is exactly how I felt in 2013 at that new school. It’s also how I feel now in my new role AND in grad school. How can I move through this fear to get the results I want in life? 

The only way out is through.

I read so many articles and they all have similar suggestions. They state that the only way past the fear is to work through it. For example, Scott Jeffrey (n.d.) suggests, “Become aware of the fear driving your behavior – welcome it and realize it has no basis in your present reality.” To do this, Jeffrey (n.d.) suggests applying “The 4 Steps:”

  • 1) Learn to hear your fixed mindset “voice.”
  • 2) Recognize that you have a choice.
  • 3) Talk back to it with a growth mindset voice.
  • 4) Take the growth mindset action.

Through small repeated actions and consistent practice with The Four Steps, we can change our mindset and spend more time in growth and learning (Jeffrey, n.d.).

As I said in my post Plan of Action: Applying Growth Mindset in GCISD (2022), “I use CBT on a regular basis in my life. I already noticed a fixed mindset thinking around my leadership capabilities and started “talking back” to that voice. It helps that I have supportive teammates who will gladly call me on my thinking. My hope is that applying the concepts from Dr. Dweck’s research to my own life will help me move from the Comfort Zone to the Growth Zone in my thinking, learning, application, and synthesis throughout the Applied Digital Learning Program.”

I can’t wait to see what my future holds.

References

Dweck, C. S. (2007). Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. Ballantine Books.

Jeffrey, S. (n.d.). Change Your Fixed Mindset into a Growth Mindset [Complete Guide]. Scott Jeffrey. Retrieved January 28, 2022, from https://scottjeffrey.com/change-your-fixed-mindset/

Maxwell, T. (2020, April 20). Moving from the Fear Zone to the Growth Zone. Succeed On Purpose. Retrieved January 28, 2022, from https://www.succeedonpurpose.com/post/moving-from-the-fear-zone-to-the-growth-zone

Stateler, K. (2022, January 24). Plan of Action: Applying Growth Mindset in GCISD. Cookies ‘N Cache. https://karinstateler.com/?p=510