Category: 5305 Disruptive Innovation

5303 & 5305: Contributions to the Learning Environment

Posted on by karinst8ler
Stephen Lewis
Kimberly Purvis
Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash

Grades:
5303: 94/100 (94%)
5305: 47/50 (94%)

I can’t believe that my first two grad school classes are almost complete. I am tired, but it’s that good kind of tired. My accomplishments are meaningful and my growth is measurable. When I look at my ePortfolio or Literature Review I think, “I did that.” I am proud of my accomplishments so far and look forward to what is coming next.

Key Contributions

Glows & Grows

As I reflect on my role in my own learning and the learning of others, I recognize that a lot of what I am learning is clicking! This is because I – like all humans – have a natural love of learning and I’m putting effort into my work. For starters, I love the look and feel of my ePortfolio. It is organized well for the ePortfolio course, the Disruptive Innovation course, and for coming courses. I also did a great job of creating all of my discussion posts for both classes as blog posts first. I love to use writing to connect ideas, so blogging is right up my alley!

There is always room for improvement. I like to turn opportunities for improvement into goals, so my goals throughout grad school and the implementation of this plan are to:

  • 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.

Collaboration 

One of my greatest strengths is connection and collaboration; I learn best in groups. When I learned about Stephen’s “business world perspective,” I e•mailed him immediately. He connected with Kimberly. Kimberly set up the Group Me chat, and our “Adult Learning Focus Group” was born. We used our group chat to discuss specific assignments for Dr. H and to review formatting tips for Dr. Sue. To be honest, the three of us led equally, each with different strengths that we bring to the table.

  • Stephen brought a business perspective, insightful suggestions, and a thematic approach to our group.
  • Kim is highly detail-oriented, analytical, and you can count on her to be ten steps ahead.
  • I am the big picture thinker of the group, full of ideas and motivation, and I offer the ability to refocus on the “why” in each assignment.

We all grew constantly from our interactions with one another in both 5305 and 5303 simultaneously. We created our ePortfolios alongside our assignments for 5305.

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. Examples include:

  • I changed the color of the lettering on my ePortfolio from grey to black. After reflecting on Stephen’s theme I changed my ePortfolio to match the colors of my district logo.
  • I corrected the references in my Literature Review.
  • After reviewing Kim’s metaphor, I included more intentional phrasing on my front page.
  • After a meeting with Dr. H, I changed the focus of my proposal so that it is broader.
  • I changed a step in the implementation plan from “teach” to “empower.”
  • Finally, my drafts were continually changing with the support and feedforward of my group. 

I completed as many of the course readings, videos, and supporting resources as I was able. 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 the various course deadlines, even when I was sick!

Supporting Contributions

Leadership Responsibility, Participation, and Communication

I was a leader among my base group, but also within my course. Within the course:

  • I assisted many individuals – including Jasmin, Kelvin, Andrea, Pedro, and Chastity – by fielding questions.
  • I responded to a number of posts within each discussion.
  • Jasmin, Kim, Danielle, Andre, and I met in a small group over Zoom to discuss the required readings. I devised a plan to split the readings, Jasmin created the group, and Kim and I both posted our notes on the 5305 Course Discussion Board.
  • I also participated in all of the discussions, communications, group chats, and live class discussions.
  • Finally, I made additional blog posts that weren’t required.
  • One area of growth – one of my posts was not submitted until toward the end of the course. If I could do it over again I would do all of the discussions earlier so that I could spend more time responding and reflecting with my peers.

In short, so many people from our crossover 5303/5305 group were supportive of one another.

I look forward to what the next courses hold.

You wanna know a secret?

Posted on by karinst8ler

I don’t know if I really am innovative. In fact, I’m scared that I might not be. I’m afraid that I won’t be able to follow through with my innovation plan. That it will be – along with grad school – just a thing I didn’t finish.

Okay so maybe I’ll finish grad school. I’m pretty persistent after all.

But am I innovative?

What makes an educator innovative?

Over-communicate

According to John Kotter – Communicating a Vision for Change, the key to making innovation happen is … well… talking about it. He says that it’s far too easy to under-communicate by huge amounts that will kill change.

There are three parts to talking about change effectively:

  1. How much do you talk about it? 

Probably far less than you think you do. Talk about the strategies. Talk about how it ties to the future. Talk to everyone from the highest up to the lowest rung. In fact, look 3 levels down to see the effects of your communication.

  1. Where do you talk about it?

If it’s not everywhere in your corporation, it’s not enough. Saturate people with your vision, your mission, steps to your plan.

  1. What vehicles of communication do you use?

Use them all. YouTube, Twitter, e•mail, newsletters, bathroom stalls. Find a way to communicate your innovation daily. Many ways, preferably.

Photo by Karsten Winegeart on Unsplash

Honestly – SELL IT.

Keep it real by connecting with real people.

If your lessons and plans don’t connect students or teachers with real people and real situations, you are doing them a disservice. You are holding them back from the opportunity to enact real change.

I guess I do communicate about my innovation plan a little bit. After all, it’s frequently on my mind. While my innovation plan is still in the early stages, I feel confident that I can enact a real change through my plan.

So am I innovative?

I guess we’ll have to wait and see.

References

Kotter, J. (2011, March 23). John Kotter – Communicating a Vision for Change. YouTube. Retrieved December 7, 2021, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGVe3wRKmH0

Nielsen, L. (2016, March 13). Are You An Innovative Educator? Here’s How to Find Out. The Innovative Educator. http://theinnovativeeducator.blogspot.ca/2016/03/are-you-innovative-educator-heres-how.html

What a strange machine man is!

Posted on by karinst8ler

Coming down after the literature review to refocus on “my Why” has been a trip. Though I truly consider myself to be an empath, communicating facts to people to change their minds seems like it should work! Take the example presented in How to Change People Who Don’t Want to Change. Smokers didn’t want to hear facts about smoking, even when presented by cute little children. Why don’t facts work to change people’s minds?

The head won’t go where the heart hasn’t been.

When it comes to changing anyone’s minds or behaviors – whether quitting smoking or trying to influence leaders in your district to adopt your implementation plan – “the head won’t go where the heart hasn’t been” (Harapnuik, 2015). In his post about called The Head Won’t Go Where the Heart Hasn’t Been, Dr. H says that

when you load people up on information – even if it’s correct and important – doesn’t create significant change (2015.) You need to connect to someone’s affective domains first: Their values, motivations, attitudes, stereotypes, and feelings . It’s like the saying “Maslow before Bloom’s” – you need to meet people’s physical and emotional needs before you can reach their cognition.

Why Ted Talks don’t change behaviors.

I love a good Ted Talk. They can inspire, delight, and teach. However, the Ted Talk Why TED Talks don’t change people’s behaviors didn’t surprise me after some of the readings and videos in my ADL class. On the other hand, why this is true surprised me and helped me make connections to some of the previous readings and videos. Tom Asacker (2014) reminds us that humans are not the same as machines. He says, “[Humans] aren’t fleshy machines who make decisions based on the facts. We’re mad, feeling creatures who are being pushed and pulled by our environment, by our instincts, our truths” (Asacker, 2014). Similarly, the quote from Zorba the Greek that states, “What a strange machine man is! You fill him with bread, wine, fish, and radishes, and out comes sighs, laughter, and dreams” (Kazantakis, N. 1996). We want to be like machines because machines make predictable decisions based on algorithms that we’ve programmed them to know. Humans on the other hand make decisions rather recklessly sometimes: Look at COVID, our response to climate change, and so many other examples. That’s because our decisions are based in: pleasure, control, and the story we tell about ourselves and others. Those things are not programmable. When you think about the fact each human views life from a unique perspective in which they are the protagonist, it’s a wonder we are such prosocial organisms! But alas, we are. So how do you convince someone to change, grow, and learn? Simple.

You appeal to their heart.

In the end, I actually have personal experience with getting two men in my life to quit smoking. One of those men is my father. Honestly, I think I convinced him to quit smoking by… well just by existing. I represent piece of his heart outside of his body, therefore my distaste for smoking made him rethink why he did it. I think parenthood is capable of making people face who they are. In my statements to him about wishing he would quit – because it was gross, because I didn’t like the way it smelled, and because it made me cough and hurt my lungs – I think I was able to touch his heart in a way that facts and a stranger might not be able to do. Parenting holds up a mirror the same way that only therapy can do. If you choose to look at the mirror, of course.

The other man I convinced to quit smoking is my husband. Again, it was because of love. This is more a case of time and patience. He sees who I am – someone interested in change and growth – and I think I inspire him to be a better person, as he does me. This created a desire for him to quit smoking. Again – not with facts, but by appealing to his heart. In both of these cases, the heart created the change and the head followed. Love will find a way.

I look forward to creating my video to communicate my ideas. And I think I know just how to do it:

  1. ❤️
  2. 🧠 

References

Asacker, T. (2014, June 30). Why TED Talks don’t change people’s behaviors: Tom Asacker at TEDxCambridge 2014. YouTube. Retrieved December 4, 2021, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0jTZ-GP0N4

Harapnuik, D. (2015, January 9). The Head Won’t Go Where the Heart Hasn’t Been. It’s About Learning. Retrieved December 4, 2021, from https://www.harapnuik.org/?p=5461

Kazantzakis, N. (1996). Zorba the Greek (C. Wildman, Trans.). Scribner.

Maxfield, D., & Grenny, J. (2015, January 5). How to Change People Who Don’t Want to Change | The Behavioral Science Guys. YouTube. Retrieved December 4, 2021, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ACi-D5DI6A

Riding the Wave: The New Rules of Innovation

Posted on by karinst8ler

I remember in middle school attending computer class in a computer lab. One of the programs I learned was an early Paint program, found here. I remember creating my own orange color and using it to make Hardee’s logo. It was a highly pixelated, low level of creation, but I made it myself and I was proud. I also spent a lot of time learning to type on computers in high school. The “same skills we’d always needed” were applied to computing. This was all prior to the internet. Computer classes were separate from classrooms, so learning about computers was about learning to use a computer… and nothing else. Computers were the innovation.

Hardee’s Logo

New rules and a different game

The rules for innovation have shifted. In his TED Talk Want to Innovate? Become a “now-ist,” Joi Ito states,  “In this completely unpredictable world, the survivors were working with a different set of principles. Bottom-up innovation that is Democratic, chaotic, and hard to control, and the traditional rules don’t work anymore.” (2014) No matter what the innovation is, it no longer happens in a vacuum. Ideas are tested, iterated, and improved upon without permission and before they are fully formed. Innovation is more like intentional play with a general idea. It is no longer the serious work with a clear path that it used to be. This rings true in the classroom as well. Our students are the innovators – they don’t need teachers to obtain access to information. They need a device and access to the internet.

What is the educator’s role then?

How might innovation look in education? In her TED Talk Blended Learning and The Future of Education, Monique Markoff challenges teachers and the educational system to provide one-to-one teacher-to-student personalized learning environments where computers are but a learning tool. In this environment, students are learning from computers, not about them. Learning about computers happens as a result of course, but it’s not the main focus. We need to stop compartmentalizing student learning and give students the chance to innovate! What if teachers gave students a compass to their learning instead of a map? This looks like students engaging in PBL and an individualized, self-paced curriculum in a blended learning environment. How might this allow students to be the pilots in their own learning journey?

Now is the time

Why are people still delivering content the same old way instead of empowering our students to use devices as learning tools? Like my HS computer class – I was learning how to type because of course, I would use a computer for data entry! That’s not even a necessity now! Not much has changed since then. While COVID pushed schools further than they had ever been, education still relies too heavily on sit-and-get, standardized learning. This is a big reason that I started grad school in the first place. I’m excited to ride the wave of change that COVID forced. Because of this, I get to experiment, innovate, and iterate using my plan for a Paperless Office. This is what innovation looks like. I get to be a part of the future… RIGHT NOW.

References

Ito, J., & TED. (2014, March). Want to innovate? Become a “now-ist”. TED Ideas Worth Spreading. https://www.ted.com/talks/joi_ito_want_to_innovate_become_a_now_ist?language=en

Markoff, M., & TEDxIthacaCollege. (2014, May 6). Blended Learning and the Future of Education. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mb2d8E1dZjY

As much as things change, they stay the same.

Posted on by karinst8ler
Photo by Element5 Digital on Unsplash

I have changed teaching jobs several times. I started with 8th-grade physics and chemistry. Then, I switched to 6th-grade science for one year. Next, I taught 5th-grade social studies, science, and math for a few years. Most recently, I taught a 6th-8th grade STEM elective course that I got to design! Despite my love of change, my growth has been slow. Over the past 16 years, I improved my ability to plan, manage a classroom, and analyze student data. While I’ve grown a lot, I’ve only really grown within the limits of the system. 

Why is change so slow?

“People who like this stuff like this stuff.” To me, that means that this imperfect system meets the needs of enough people – particularly people with a certain level of power and privilege – that it hasn’t quite reached the tipping point yet. YET. Apple provides the perfect example of keeping customers due to a commitment to a lifestyle over function. According to Seth’s Blog, Androids can be configured to do whatever you want, while iPhones are limited in what they can accomplish without Google, Word, or another Apple user or proprietary item. The problem with Android is that you have to configure it to do what you want. That doesn’t supply quite the same simplicity, efficiency, and integration as an iPhone. However, the options in an Android provide it open to be able to explore, grow, and continue as a more innovative counterpart to Apple.

As an aside, Seth’s Blog was written in 2014. An updated argument comparing Apple and Android gives a more recent POV regarding which is better: iPhone vs. Android: Which is better for you? Regardless of your preference, Android’s customization and innovation continue to ring true.

Why does this matter?

The argument from Seth’s blog isn’t really about Apple and Android. It’s really about making drastic changes to our current education system. Regarding the people who “like this stuff,” it’s working in their favor. According to Money, Race and Success: How Your School District Compares (Published 2016), “Sixth graders in the richest schools are four grade levels ahead of children in the poorest district.” It’s no secret that school is working fine just as it is for the most financially well-off in the U.S. So why would those same people want to change it? 

Like Android to Apple, areas of nonconsumption exist, grow, and – in due time – will change the face of education. 

How can we change?

How can we create intentional change? In People who like this stuff…like this stuff, Dr. Harapnuik suggests a pathway to change.

  1. Start with Why. 
  2. Identify and enlist key influencers.
  3. Install an effective execution strategy.
  4. Enlist and empower self-differentiated leaders.

Like Dr. H says, “This is not an easy process but we owe it to our children and to the young men and women who are going to our universities and colleges with dreams of building a better world.”


Now is my opportunity to apply these concepts to my new role supporting Instructional Technology. In my post Winds of Change, I talk about how I’m moving the scope of my proposal from a small scope in which I’m the locus of control, to a wider scope that will require a team of district leaders to enact. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t afraid. The part of my brain that wants things to stay the same says, “What if I can’t do this? What if they don’t listen?” This is bigger than me and my comfort with the status quo though. And, I’m enough to make it happen.

References

Godin, S. (2014, September 16). People who like this stuff… Seth’s Blog. Retrieved November 6, 2021, from https://seths.blog/2014/09/people-who-like-this-stuff/

Harapnuik, D. (2014, September 16). People who like this stuff… like this stuff. It’s About Learning. Retrieved November 6, 2021, from https://www.harapnuik.org/?p=5198

Palmer, J. (2021, November 4). iPhone vs. Android: Which is better for you? Tom’s Guide. Retrieved November 6, 2021, from https://www.tomsguide.com/face-off/iphone-vs-android

Rich, M., Cox, A., Bloch, M., & The New York Times. (2016, April 29). Money, Race and Success: How Your School District Compares. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/04/29/upshot/money-race-and-success-how-your-school-district-compares.html

Winds of Change

Posted on by karinst8ler

It’s been obnoxiously windy in North Texas these past few days. I’m talking hair destroying, car veering, door slamming windy. My husband and I actually talked about how frustrating the wind was – pushing us in directions we didn’t want to go, picking up dust and detritus and moving it where it doesn’t belong, and causing general discontent.

The Original Plan

My original Innovation Project plan was very thorough. You can read more about it here, but I’ll give you the gist. I planned to focus on training administrative assistants. I saw them as an area of nonconsumption. My plan was detailed and forthright. Dr. H’s response to my plan wasn’t as congratulatory as I had hoped, so I scheduled a meeting with him to talk about where my plan could use a little bit of tweaking.

Caught in a Whirlwind

When I met with Dr. H, I was excited to hear his thoughts. I waited to get “feedback” on how I could pinch here and tuck there. But pinch and tuck he did not. Dr. H came to the meeting like the gust of cool air rushing Texas from Canada, creating the high winds we are experiencing. He asked me questions I didn’t know the answer to. He pushed me to think “Bigger Picture.” He called me out as someone who is, “Idealistic and wants to change the world.” I felt seen, but also confused. My plan with administrative assistants is okay, but not big enough picture. What is the purpose? What is my long-term goal? I know I didn’t answer these questions well because frankly, I wasn’t sure.

🤷‍♀️

Dr. H suggested I would e•mail him this weekend with a better idea – one that had a large enough scope.

Looking to the Horizon

I spent a lot of time this weekend worrying: Worrying about my plan, waiting for an idea to just “pop” into my brain like Dr. Harapnuik suggested it might.

I spent the bulk of my Friday afternoon reading the Horizon Report and taking copious notes. First, I read about how the Horizon Report is fallible to the point that it is kind of dismissed. Then, I learned about the implications of current technology use in higher education. Finally, the sections I enjoyed the most presented “fuzzy” futuristic possibilities about the direction of higher ed: One toward Growth, one toward Constraint, one toward Collapse, and one toward Transformation. In these current trends and futuristic potential outcomes, I saw some big picture opportunities:

  • Personalized degree paths
  • Learner agency
  • An aging population with low fertility
  • A much more diverse group of learners
  • Climate change
  • Assistive technology
  • Security

This list seems endless. Better yet, it gave me a much better idea of what Dr. H is looking for in my innovation proposal.

When I set goals, I think of a general idea I’m working toward. For example, my husband and I just purchased a small chunk of land in Missouri. We plan to spend the next 3 years building a second home. When we retire, we’ll move there full time. We will take everything we put into our paid-off home and move to Missouri. My Master’s Degree is a part of that plan as well. I could be a remote professor, a consultant, or work for a tech company like Canvas or Google remotely. Obviously, my general idea is to work remotely once I’m retired from education. When I look ahead to a general plan, the choices I make right now all point in that direction.

The same holds for my innovation proposal.

A Change in Focus

The windy weather died down Sunday. I didn’t feel so irritated, inhibited, and rushed. I felt calm, and I could tell that I trusted myself a lot more than I did earlier in the weekend.

Like my plan for my future, my plan for my innovation proposal needs a long-term, big-picture focus to drive it. I’m backing up a little, and have toyed with either the “Paper-light District,” or “Security,” as my plan. And I did in fact e•mail Dr. H, much to my surprise! While the deadline is coming quickly, I also try to remember that this is our first draft. We will change the details many times before our Master’s Program is over. At the same time, there will be other opportunities in which I feel uncomfortably stretched to understand a future that even the experts can’t easily predict.

But for now, I’m going to enjoy the cool fall breeze.

Brown, M., McCormack, M., Reeves, J., Brooks, D. C., & Grajek, S. (2020). Teaching and Learning Edition. 2020 EDUCAUSE Horizon Report. https://library.educause.edu/-/media/files/library/2020/3/2020_horizon_report_pdf.pdf?la=en&hash=08A92C17998E8113BCB15DCA7BA1F467F303BA80

Harapnuik, D. (n.d.). Change in Focus. It’s About Learning, CSLE. Retrieved 10 31, 2021, from https://www.harapnuik.org/?page_id=7495

I Love You, I Hate You: The Story of WordPress

Posted on by karinst8ler

I chose Wix first. It was easy. It was attractive. I set up my site. I wrote my first blog. I was ready.

Did I mention that Wix was easy?

And then I met you…

WordPress. You sly devil. You were deep and complex. I could create my own domain name. You were rich and profound and you called to me like a siren from a boulder being pelted by harsh waves in a stormy sea. Your voice floated to me from afar. You sang of safety, of freedom, and of a depth and complexity unmatched by others. I fell in head first, lured by Dr. Harapnuik’s treasure map, How to Create Your ePortfolio. The map is sincere and bold. It provides a clear outline. There is a quaint comparison. And there is… DATA.

Photo by Lidya Nada on Unsplash

I was caught, hook, line and sinker. And I paid the price. LITERALLY.

And then I got to know you…

Early in our relationship, you were soft. You were kind. I copied and pasted my blog from Wix. It was so easy! And then, you judged me. Your SEO score and Readability statistics didn’t seem like huge red flags at first. “You’re helping me become better!” I thought. How naïve of me! You became progressively more aggressive throughout our time together.

Next, I selected a theme and started to create pages.

But I COULDN’T EDIT THE THEME. You held me hostage, WordPress! You hid your theme editing in a separate menu from page editing. After I found the theme menu, I was so excited to be able to delete the phone number! But it was a small victory – I couldn’t figure out how to change the stock picture with the irrelevant menu that plagued my Homepage. Out, damned spot!

Back to the drawing board

Days passed. I added pages. I deleted pages. I changed the homepage menu that plagued me so! I tried to create a drop-down menu. I tried again… and again… and again. I posted about menus in the Student Lounge. A kind fellow named Pedro had fantastic instructions that I couldn’t follow.

But tonight… I got the better of you

I did it! I created that menu. My Learning is documented in one place that drops down, that I may add pages and pages galore. I have pages, a drop-down menu, and a blog. And yet I wonder…

How else might you challenge me?

Passionately Pursuing Nonconsumption: Disruptive Innovation as a Catalyst for Change

Posted on by karinst8ler

I love my job and I love my department. For starters, my boss believes we should, “follow our passions,” in our job. When I started my job as a Digital Learning Support Specialist with the Instructional Technology team, I quickly noticed gaps that needed to be filled with the skills and passions I possess. I didn’t realize it at the time, but I was looking for areas of nonconsumption.

One area of nonconsumption

While my team is intentional in their work with teachers on campuses, one noticeable area of nonconsumption is the professional development of administrative assistants. Administrative assistants in our district often:

  • Have varying degrees of technological capabilities
  • Have varying levels of education
  • Only receive on-the-job training specific to their boss’s wants or needs
  • Don’t receive training aligned with our district’s technology goals

My most important observation? Admin assistants desperately want to learn and grow with technology use. Why not harness that natural desire to grow an underserved population?

Insourcing for professional development

Okay, I recognized the area of nonconsumption. Now what? I began to brainstorm how I can bring meaningful professional development to adult learners who are not in a traditional PD setting. I am not about to reinvent the wheel here. However, the Google for Education Certification is specifically designed with teachers in mind. I realized that I am going to have to be the primary resource for this audience.

Part 7 — Disrupting Higher Education explained insourcing professional development instead of outsourcing it. Specifically, the video mentioned that insourcing could provide:

  • Exactly what the intended audience needs to know
  • The precise moment that they need to know it
  • Customized training to their business
  • Flexible and responsive training opportunities

What is my role then?

As I think about this area of nonconsumption, I want to consider how I can use technology as a vehicle to insource in this area of nonconsumption. My goal is to connect the administrative assistants to rich, unique learning opportunities that fulfill this Job to Be Done. As I consider the most beneficial way to organize this opportunity, I think of what I learned in Disrupting Class – Part 3: Disruptive Innovation in Education. Considering the framework provided, I will:

  • Begin at the end. Define outcomes.
  • Make technology the slave to your strategy, not the other way around.
  • Harness the power of time, place, path, and pace for student personalization.
  • Personalize for [my] circumstances.

Questions

What do the admin assistants need to learn? How can I come by this information? Can I use the January 4th professional development day as an opportunity to pre-assess?

How can I test and assess and give real-time feedback?

What will the structure look like for this very non-traditional opportunity?