Archive
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Why School System Leaders Need to be Systems Thinkers
By: Jason Riberio. Part of a difficulty that education organizations experience is that they are rarely viewed as systems and thus not treated as such. What if systems thinking could help education stakeholders understand just how interconnected the work we do is (or could be)?
Five Steps to Transforming a District
Transforming a district is simple. Simple in the way that a New Year’s resolution is simple - we know what to do and what is necessary, but successful long-term results depend on real change, including a change in mindset. Simple, yet difficult.
A Complete Guide for Finding (and Doing) What You Love
GenDIY is all about finding what makes you happy and pursuing that happiness through work and relationships and in ways that are unique to who you are. In the blog that was originally published on Medium, Thomas Oppong shares a brief guide for finding your calling.
The Role of Student Voice, Passion and Communication in Reimagining Education Policy
By: Eli Neal. The 24 Hour Think Challenge, sponsored by the J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Family Foundation, is the first step in a long journey of changing Idaho’s education system. The Think Challenge initiates conversation with student voice, but there is an extended obligation to continue the dialogue.
Naming the Theories in Use
While at #PS2015, a graduate student at BYU asked me, "What other theories are being applied in education?" That may be the best question of the year and one that every school and district leadership team should ask themselves.
Policymaking and Innovation Mindsets
By: Joanne Weiss. A policy environment that treats compliance as the "floor" below which we must not fall, but that sets its sights on enabling innovation to lift the "ceiling" for every student - that's the "holy grail" of education policy.
Combine Curiosity, Kinesiology, & Causes in ‘14
Moving toward work you love means getting in touch with what, how, and why--what you are drawn to, how you like to spend your time, and the causes that move you to action.
Better Pitches
"Applicants who are able to describe their need and solutions succinctly tend to resonate more with reviewers," said John Bailey, "There is a reason why we call them "elevator speeches" - because it forces one to strip out what is unnecessary in order to simplify and focus the message."
Good Work: Serving Ideas
Think of the young people that go to Washington DC as the Cognitive Corps—working in service of an idea or ideal. Advocacy work is an attempt to make a difference at scale. If there is any success, it will be delayed gratification. But for the right cause, it is work worth doing.
Good Work: Inspiring a Shared Vision
The future always holds something for the individual who keeps her faith in it. Being a leader puts you in some pretty awkward situations. As a public school superintendent, I work for five elected board members. They seldom agreed on where we had been or…