Learning Chaos

“Join the resistance” brings visions of fighting against tyranny and oppression. Most of us “join the resistance” when we’re about two years old, and we get in the habit of countering: pushing back rather than connecting. If we want to build more candid and powerful relationships, we can stop countering and start understanding.

We make up stories about what we do and who we are. As leaders, we have responsibility to engage everyone in the story OF – what we do, how and why we do it. And we have a greater responsibility to be skeptical about the stories ABOUT ourselves and others. Never forget, stories reveal the author more than the subject.

We carry around a marvelous instrument for influence and impact. Our voice. Yet how much time and effort do we put into developing this marvelous gift? With a little time spent rethinking how we speak, a little effort on development, we can create a huge change in how we connect and lead. Move beyond your voice being merely a drain for the brain!

Two seconds of conversation with Leilani Cauthen is all it takes for her enthusiasm to grab you and hold you captive. She’s passionate about the amazing opportunities presented at the intersection of technology and the classroom. Her organization, The Learning Counsel, is a national research institute and news media hub focused on digital curriculum strategy and tactics, helping school and district leaders determine next steps in their digital transition.

Teleology is a simple idea: let’s not adopt new stuff (including technology) until we’re clear that it serves our purpose. For our classrooms, let’s re-define teachers’ roles as guides of insight and meaning rather than as sources of data. And let’s be sure any new technology we introduce (i.e., purchase), contributes to meaningful, lifelong learning.

Our better angel loves to listen. We can always improve our leadership by improving our listening. Here are some experiences and insights that will help you listen better, the route to knowledge, learning, and understanding. Not a bad payoff, right?

In education, equality is about everyone; equity is about each one. Though we need to keep working on the first, we must shift our focus to the second if we are to improve learning. Students achieve more, much more, when they're invested in not just what they learn but in how and why.

Embracing leadership includes embracing discomfort. New people, new situations, new ideas always bring what I call “the itch of discovery.” I need to remember that discomfort and pain are not the same. One connects to challenge, the other to harm. Confusing the two keeps us from exploration. Here's how to make a difference.

STEM is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. For some school systems, this approach has become dogma. Find out about STEAMED, a more fun acronym for sure, AND a less restrictive, more powerful approach to learning and development!