Designing Schools

In the digital age, it’s important to teach students how to use technology as a tool in order to learn and not be left behind. When applied in tandem with design thinking, we can start to teach students how to solve problems in a new and innovative way. Jon Corippo co-founded and developed a series of instructional lesson frames called EduProtocols that are designed to engage students in learning through the 4 C's:

1. Critical thinking
2. Collaboration
3. Communication
4. Creativity

EduProtocols were created to address the need for students to engage in deeper learning using technology as a tool instead of an automation device. Since then, hundreds of classrooms have been converted to Four Cs centered instruction.

Jon is the brains behind the extremely popular Eduprotocols. He has been recognised as a County Teacher of the Year, a National School Boards Association 20 to Watch Educator, an Apple Distinguished Educator, a Google Certified Innovator, and a Microsoft Innovative Educator. Jon has a decade of experience in K-8 education, including building a 1-1 project-based high school and serving in two county offices as Assistant Superintendent and IT Director. Jon is very pleased with his work as CUE's Chief Learning Officer and Executive Director. Jon has trained over 60,000 educators through CUE professional learning.

0:00 Introduction
0:51 Introducing Jon Corippo
3:55 Jon's experience travelling around the world as an educator
5:51 The problem with the idea of " real teaching"
12:40 The innovation gap analysis model
15:02 Jon's career as an educator and what changes he implemented over the years
26:35 How Jon's experience as a student motivated him as an educator
29:43 Discussing the relationship between assessment and mental health
35:52 What are some short term changes schools should adopt in assessment?
40:59 Jon's advice for educators who want to transition to a new system

Leading Teams That Work Better Together Workshop: https://designingschools.org/workshops

Connect with Jon Corippo:

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joncorippo/
Website: https://www.eduprotocols.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jcorippo

Connect with me, Dr. Sabba Quidwai:

Website: https://designingschools.org/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sabba-quidwai/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/askMsQ
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/designing_schools/

The four pillars of leadership and social influence are:

1. Building trust
2. Encouraging creativity
3. Recognizing accomplishments
4. Inspiring a collective vision.

In order to be a successful leader and have social influence, one must be able to demonstrate these qualities. For example, someone who is creative can come up with new ideas that will help those around them grow; someone who has accomplished a lot can show others what they can do if they work hard enough; someone who inspires others to work together on a common goal is an excellent leader with social influence.

For leaders to have social influence in their community, it is important for them to be trustworthy so that people are willing to follow their lead. Creativity is also important because it can help the community grow their skills, explore new ideas and develop new technologies.

This week I’m sharing reflections from leaders on their journey with leadership and social influence. You'll hear from Superintendent Jerry Almendarez, Zandra Jo Galvan, Superintendent of Greenfield Union School District, Tony Richardson, Vice Principal of the MLK Steam Academy, Associate Professor and Online Accessibility Mentor Denise Maduli-Williams, Jeff Prickett, who was named 2021 Illinois High School Principal of the Year, and Tom Murray, Director of Innovation for Future Ready Schools.

0:00 Introduction
0:55 Sabba's discovery of the possibilities of online learning and teaching
4:31 Jerry's take on the relationship betwenn leadership and social influence
6:14 The importance of online presence for professional development
8:01 Zandra's take on the importance of being part of an online circle for support
10:12 The four pillars of the relationship between leadership and social influence
10:49 Jerry's experience using social influence as a leader and how it created opportunities for those around him
13:41 How leadership and social influence can also be important for people without formal titles
16:41 Tony's experience using social media to restore trust and heal teacher trauma
18:42 Denise's experience using social influence to nurture the relationship with her students
22:51 Jeff's take on how relationships (both online and offline) can work as foundations to building trust
24:26 Zandra's framework to balacing time between work, family and social media
29:39 Tom's take on how leaders can inspire a collective vision toward change through humility and vulnerability
34:17 Sabba's workshop announcement

Leading Teams That Work Better Together Workshop: https://designingschools.org/workshops

Connect with Jerry Almendarez:
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jerry-almendarez-916437b1/

Connect with Zandra Jo Galvan:
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zandra-jo-galvan-99b95172/

Connect with Tony Richardson:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/tonyrchrdsn

Connect with Denise Maduli-Williams:
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dmaduliwilliams/

Connect with Jeff Prickett:
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffryprickett/

Connect with Tom Murray:
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomascmurray/

Connect with me, Dr. Sabba Quidwai:

Website: https://designingschools.org/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sabba-quidwai/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/askMsQ
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/designing_schools/

The best way to get learners to see the space in between as an opportunity is to create a culture of innovation. This can be done through leadership and design thinking. When it comes to innovation, leaders should be able to take a step back and see the big picture, whereas design thinkers should be able to understand the needs of the student and create solutions that are both innovative and practical.

Leadership is key when it comes to creating a culture of innovation. Leaders should be able to step back from their day-to-day work and see the bigger picture in terms of innovation.

The future of education is not about the end result, but about the process. The process of learning is what matters most, and this is where design thinking can be applied. Design thinking is a process that helps learners see obstacles as opportunities and know how to navigate the space in between. It teaches them to be resilient and persistent in their pursuits, which are skills that will serve them well in any field they pursue.

Tony Richardson, Vice Principal, leads the MLK Steam and Design Campus in California. He joins us today to discuss how he's assisting his primary school community in becoming "life-ready innovators, rethinking the world."

0:00 Introduction
1:49 Importance of design thinking for overcoming obstacles and unlocking your creativity
3:24 How Tony designed his vision for MLK Steam
8:22 Creating a growth mindset culture
10:07 Tony's journey and two inflection points that shaped him into a leader
13:35 How Tony first came to learn about design thinking and how has it impacted his work
15:52 Some strategies that Tony used to create a culture of trust
19:46 Knowledge, motivation and organization influence performance
21:12 Tony's views on motivation influences and how to balance them against toxic positivity
23:06 Examples of changes made by Tony through design thinking in classroom
27:28 Transitioning to integrated learning
30:11 What is 'teacher trauma' and how can one create an enviroment of psychological safety
35:36 Tony's current area and students he is working with
37:27 Presenting a study on how design thinking can help low achieving students
39:16 Using portfolios as assessment
42:21 Tony's views on the relationship between leadership and social influence
43:46 Some strategies and advice on creating a culture of trust and safety

Leading Teams That Work Better Together Workshop:

https://designingschools.org/workshops

Connect with Tony Richardson:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/tonyrchrdsn

Connect with me, Dr. Sabba Quidwai:

Website: https://designingschools.org/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sabba-quidwai/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/askMsQ
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/designing_schools/

The future of schools is changing. The current education system is in need of change more than ever. Schools should focus on what students want to learn, and not what teachers want to teach them. Students should have the opportunity to explore their interests and passions in a safe environment.

The nation's schools are under more pressure than ever to educate kids for an information-rich, high-tech, entrepreneurial, global economy that demands a highly trained, informed, adaptable, and competent workforce. Today, postsecondary education is required for 80% of well-paying occupations.

A school that embraces design thinking will be able to create a more innovative environment for students by encouraging them to experiment with new ideas, engage in teamwork, take risks, and develop relationships with other students who have different skillsets from them.  The design process is one that starts with a problem and works through the steps of finding the solution.

Today's guest, Thomas Murray works with Future Ready Schools as the director of innovation. He's testified in front of the United States Congress and appeared on a variety of television and radio shows. Murray is a frequent conference keynote speaker who was named one of the NSBA's "20 to Watch" in 2018, the "national/global edtech leader of the year" in 2017, and the academy of arts and sciences' "education policy person of the year" in 2015. Both Learning Transformed and Personal and Authentic Learning have become best-sellers.

0:00 Introduction
1:49 What is Future Ready and what does it's framework look like?
6:20 How Future Ready answered the challenges posed by the pandemic
10:35 How to use design thinking to design studying practices with (and not for) students
11:50 The importance of the design thinking mindset and challenges when shifting mindset
17:21 Two inflection points that made Tom a great leader
22:01 Some strategies to help people develop empathy
24:45 Tom's views on leaders building social trust and influence
29:49 How can leaders build personal and authentic relationships with their teams

Download: How Do I Learn Best: A Design Thinking Experience
https://designingschools.org/2022/03/22/part-two-how-do-i-learn-best-a-design-thinking-experience/

Leading Teams That Work Better Together Workshop: https://designingschools.org/workshops

Connect with Thomas Murray:

Website: https://www.thomascmurray.com

Connect with me, Dr. Sabba Quidwai:

Website: https://designingschools.org/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sabba-quidwai/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/askMsQ
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/designing_schools/

In both Virginia and Pennsylvania, Shane Hotchkiss has over 23 years of combined educational and managerial experience. He's worked as a fourth grade teacher, an elementary reading specialist, an elementary assistant principal, an elementary principal, and an assistant superintendent. Dr. Hotchkiss has also taught at Wilkes University, Cabrini College, and Wilson College as an adjunct professor.

Shane graduated from Widener University in Chester, Pennsylvania, with a doctorate in educational leadership. He got his Master's Degree in Education from Mansfield University in Mansfield, PA, along with a Reading Specialist certification. He also has a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education from Mansfield University.

Often, discussions on the future of employment focus on how we prepare kids. We seldom take a step back and consider what work may look like today for the grownups in the company. We now have the chance to explore the best of both worlds and what options exist for how we spend our time and resources, especially now that we've seen what working remotely may look like.

Shane joins me today to discuss his daring vision for his district, as well as how he models and leads an innovative culture through cultivating empathy. We also address how to stay creative as an adult and educator, how to recognize your talents and personality, and so much more.

0:00 Introduction
1:24 Introducing Shane Hotchkiss and his journey as a leader over a decade
6:42 How to keep being creative as an adult and educator?
9:50 Assessments for identifying your strengths and personality
10:55 How to encourage creativity among a team as a leader?
16:22 Preparing for the future today: what's the meaning of this statement in practice
23:45 Shane's views on the relationship between leadership and social influence
29:24 What did Shane have to learn and relearn during his experience as a leader
34:33 Shane's take on what we should do to improve education in the future: more teachers and more leaders

Leading Teams That Work Better Together Workshop: https://designingschools.org/workshops

Connect with Shane Hotchkiss:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shane-hotchkiss-29004037/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/shane_hotchkiss

Connect with me, Dr. Sabba Quidwai:

Website: https://designingschools.org/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sabba-quidwai/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/askMsQ
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/designing_schools/

A good superintendent should have a deep understanding of the district’s needs and be able to build relationships with parents, teachers, students and other stakeholders. They should also be able to lead design thinking in order to develop innovative solutions for problems in the education system. Some duties of the superintendent include directing planning and scheduling, budgeting, student assessment and determining appropriate resources for schools.

Josh Van Norman took over as Superintendent of the San Antonio Union School District on July 2nd, 2019. He is looking forward to starting his new job in the picturesque Monterey County, California. Mr. Van Norman was the Assistant Principal at Del Sur Elementary in the Poway Unified School District before to joining SAUSD. The school launched the first-ever TedEd Club, which focused on public speaking for students, a student-led broadcast club, and Sanford Harmony, a Social and Emotional Learning program, under his guidance. Mr. Van Norman was recognized at the District level for the importance of these programs, which focused on developing the complete child and equipping children with future skills.

Josh joins Designing Schools to discuss how he built trust within his community, some valuable leadership lessons that he's learned with regards to relationships, listening, slowing down and his views on the relationship between leadership and social influence.

0:00 Introduction
0:31 Introducing Josh Van Norman
1:43 Discussing the power of relationships and how Josh dealt with it during the pandemic
5:26 Some valuable leadership lessons that Josh learned: relationships, listening, slowing down
9:04 What Josh did to build trust within his community
14:50 From built trust, how did Josh accelerate inovation within his district
20:48 Some things that Josh did to improve his school district
25:51 Josh's views on the relationship between leadership and social influence
29:41 Using social media presence to make career transitions
31:55 Did becoming a parent influence Josh's practice?

Connect with Josh Van Norman:

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josh-van-norman-03a983138/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/VanNormanJosh

Connect with me, Dr. Sabba Quidwai:

Website: https://designingschools.org/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sabba-quidwai/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/askMsQ
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/designing_schools/

The capacity to personalize the interaction with remote learners is critical in all kinds of distance education. It is important for teachers to understand that it's not about them, but about the learners. They need to focus on designing an engaging learning experience for their students.

You want to generate great online videos, but you also want to make your online discussion boards more interesting, while also bringing equity and diversity into your online classrooms through synchronous and asynchronous activities. Meanwhile, you're attempting to maximize your time and manage your online office hours while also assisting students who are having difficulty navigating the online world. And you're doing it all while a pandemic is raging. Does this ring a bell?

Denise has spent over two decades teaching English to native and non-native speakers in a variety of contexts. She has worked in a California jail, a Botswana hamlet as a Peace Corps Volunteer, and New York City public high schools before settling at community colleges.

She is currently an Associate Professor and Online Accessibility Mentor at San Diego Miramar College, where she teaches online, hybrid, and in-person courses. She is also a professor at the University of San Diego, where she teaches graduate students. She's also a PhD student who's looking into the role of social presence in online learning achievement.

Denise feels that equitable, humanized online experiences help students succeed.

0:00 Introduction
0:38 Meet Denise
2:06 Using videos to build rapport with online learners
6:51 How Denise creates her videos and posting them on social media
9:30 Discussing the challenges and opportunities of online teaching
14:56 The importance of listening to faculty for decision making in education
17:32 How was the online learning experience for students and what do they want from now on
23:38 Benefits of introducing portfolios to online students
28:07 Denise's students experience with portfolios
29:30 Why Denise decided to go back to school and her current research
33:28 Denise's thoughts about higher education today and moving forward

Leading Teams That Work Better Together Workshop: https://designingschools.org/workshops

Connect with Denise Maduli-Williams:

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dmaduliwilliams/

Connect with me, Dr. Sabba Quidwai:

Website: https://designingschools.org/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sabba-quidwai/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/askMsQ
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/designing_schools/

One of the most crucial parts of leadership is relationships. You must be able to build a connection with those around you and earn their trust in order to be an effective leader. Frameworks that facilitate effective conversations build solid relationships, and in turn, everyone can better solve issues, improve decision-making, and promote trust and safety in any environment. 

Relationships also serve as a foundation for how people feel about themselves. A relationship that is built on trust will make the individual more willing to follow your lead and take your advice.

Building a relationship of trust with someone requires a balance to be struck, such that you are able to have flare and finesse, while being present and available, as well as being consistent in your communication with them. 

This week on the show, I'm joined by Zandra Jo Galvan, the superintendent of the Greenfield Union School District. She is enthusiastic about socially and intellectually preparing students for college and professions, and she makes sure that every member of her community understands that they are part of an elite team devoted to breaking the cycle of poverty.

0:00 Introduction
0:34 Introducing Zandra Jo Galvan
1:48 Zandra's background and secret to her energy and enthusiasm
5:13 The importance of discovering purpose at a young age
6:46 What lead Zandra to become a superintendent
10:05 Education should inform students about change and opportunitites
13:03 Relationships as a key element for transformational leaders
16:05 Some strategies from Zandra to build relationships with faculty and staff
20:52 Discussing Leadership and Social influence
23:49 How Zandra manages her social media
25:57 Talking about Zandra's doctorate and research interests
28:42 Zandra's experience of being a learner in today's world
32:51 Some challenges experienced by Zandra and advices on how to deal with them

Better Digital Tools for Education Leaders Workshop: https://designingschools.org/workshops

Connect with Zandra Jo Galvan:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/zjgalvan
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zandra-jo-galvan-99b95172/

Connect with me, Dr. Sabba Quidwai:

Website: https://designingschools.org/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sabba-quidwai/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/askMsQ
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/designing_schools/

Leadership is not something that you are born with. It is something that needs to be taught and nurtured. Leaders are made, they don't just happen. Leadership is a skill that needs to be practiced and learned.

The first step to becoming a leader is learning how to think like one. This means understanding what leadership really means and how it can be applied in different situations. Leadership skills are developed through observing others, practicing leadership in various situations, and being mentored by someone who has already mastered the skill.

Leaders are the people who drive change and innovation. They are the ones who make sure that their team is aligned towards a common goal. Leaders are not managers, they possess skills that distinguish them from managers.

My guest in this episode, Dr. Jeff Prickett, is one of the most compassionate leaders I've met. He is a professional educator who has worked as the principal of elementary, middle, and high schools. He has worked as an assistant administrator, dean of students, and classroom teacher throughout his 25 years of public school career.

In this episode, we talk about the five skills that distinguish leaders from managers: associating, questioning, observing, empathy and education.

0:00 Introduction
3:30 Introducing Dr. Jeff Prickett and his journey of becoming a leader
8:59 The importance of empathy and asking questions as a leader
13:52 Jeff figuring out what it means to look and act like a leader
16:38 How values can help make a better leader and create trust among a community
22:55 Childhood and youth moments that shaped Jeff's core values
27:09 Two shaping moments from Jeff's first years as a high school principal
29:41 Strategies to help kids navigate through adversities today
36:05 Strategies to nurture creativity and innovation in high school
39:56 Jeff's thought on the relationship between leadership and social influence
43:58 The importance of bringing parents into the conversation about education
45:15 Jeff's advice for leaders

Connect with Dr. Jeff Prickett:

March 10 Workshop Invitation: Better Digital Tools for Education Leaders

Connect with Jeff

• Jeff Prickett on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jdprickett
  Jeff Prickett on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jdprickett/
  The Principal Leadership Lab podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-principal-leadership-lab/id1519710842
  "Becoming Principal" on Amazon

Connect with me, Dr. Sabba Quidwai:

Website: https://designingschools.org/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sabba-quidwai/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/askMsQ
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/designing_schools/

How can we move away from a one-size-fits-all paradigm and toward one in which learners have the agency to design their own learning experiences? Today I visit the Davis School District to meet Robert Kinghorn and Amy Thompson.

Amy has been a teacher for the past 18 years. Amy was formally recognised as a "Exemplary Teacher" in the Salt Lake City School District based on student progress and competency outcomes while teaching in the Salt Lake City School District. She has also worked as a teacher's aide and an assistant principal. Amy is presently teaching coding and digital skills to upper elementary pupils.

During Robert's five-year time as principal of a Title 1 school in Clearfield, Utah, he worked with teachers to change the atmosphere and improve academic achievements, virtually doubling student competence rates on end-of-level state testing.

The section of Amy and Rob's book, Out of the Dugout, that has stayed with me the most is when they discuss how they foster a mentality in learners based on growth, belonging, and agency. It's one of the things that, as adults, many of us did not have exposure to in school, and as a result, it's one of the reasons why so many of us struggle with change.

0:00 Introduction
1:29 Introducing Robert Kinghorn and Amy Thompson and how they came together to publish their book
10:53 What should leaders focus on to build trust across an educational team
13:12 Tools for identifying someone's strengths and the level of psychological safety
14:54 Rob and Amy's take on what 'personalized learning' means
19:40 Challenges faced when desigining experiences of agency and autonomy for learners
24:49 Talking about 'Out of the Dugout' and its proposed framework
32:45 How to approach teachers when implementing changes in schools
35:33 How to help teachers develop a sense of self-efficacy
40:51 Talking about teacher collaboration and how it looks like in Rob and Amy's framework
43:47 Some hurdles that Rob and Amy faced while implementing their framework
48:09 Rob and Amy's views on design thinking for creating change in schools
52:02 Defining motivation and how to develop it while implementing changes

Connect with Rob and Amy:

Website: https://outofthedugout.com/
Rob's Twitter: https://twitter.com/rwkinghorn
Amy's Twitter: https://twitter.com/AmyT_555

Connect with me, Dr. Sabba Quidwai:

Website: https://designingschools.org/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sabba-quidwai/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/askMsQ
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/designing_schools/