Welcome to tonight’s #isedchat (Independent Schools Educators Chat)! My name is Silvia Larrauri, Head of School at @SSEDSorg (home of @ShiftinEdu) in Miami, FL, & I am honored to have been asked to moderate this great conversation!
Please introduce yourself. Let us know where you’re from, your role, & anything else you’d like to share w the rest of tonight’s #isedchat participants!
Chat format: Questions will be preceded with a “Q” plus the question’s number. (ie Q1, Q2, etc.) Please answer by adding A1, A2, etc. to your corresponding answer and be sure to add #isedchat to the end of each post.
A1: Adapting programming, PD, and new technologies that will provide unique learning experiences to dive deep using voice and choice, all the while not forgetting the culture that gives the school the heart and soul. #isedchat
A1: The experience at our schools must offer more than what students can get elsewhere for significantly less money or even for free. Students brains are wired differently and if methodology does not change, students needs will not be met. #isedchat
A1: Adapting programming, PD, and new technologies that will provide unique learning experiences to dive deep using voice and choice, all the while not forgetting the culture that gives the school the heart and soul. #isedchat
Q1 "shift in education....so many thoughts, don't be afraid to think outside of the box! We ask our students to do it. As educators, we need to to do it! Independent schools need to stick to their values but not be afraid to move forward.#isedchat
A1 Independent schools must move from being the source of basic skills to a source that empowers learners to think critically, create, design and lead. #isedchat
A1 Thoughts that come to mind include curiosity, determination, and most importantly open-mindedness. The growth of our independent school education stems from our unique community and its unique needs. It is exciting to grow in a direction of endless possibilities. #isedchat
A1 We CANNOT afford to rest on our past. We should pay close attention to our Ss' future and align w how we can best prepare them. Flexibility, collaboration, & design thinking are just a few 'musts.' #innovatorsmindset#isedchat
A1: “Human” skills such as creativity, originality and initiative, critical thinking, persuasion and negotiation will likewise retain or increase their value, as will attention to detail, resilience, flexibility and complex problem-solving. https://t.co/V9GVwyq5BC#isedchat
A1 I think our role as teachers has moved from an instruction paradigm to a learning paradigm (in which a teacher’s role is that of a coach). The student is now learning how to learn and discovering knowledge... #isedchat
A1: Emotional intelligence, leadership and social influence as well as service orientation are also set to see particular increase in demand relative to their current prominence. I'm not confident we're doing enough to prepare students for their future. #isedchat
A1: A great place to start is with assessment and grading practices. Letter grades and percentages only capture a snapshot in time, not the entirety of the learning process. A move to standards-based/mastery based #education has to take place. #isedchat#ModernMeasures#sblchat
A1: With so many shifts dictated by students’ needs, technology, paradigms, global connections, and more, it’s important to acknowledge which shift is influencing your school. #isedchat
A2 Schools that embrace technology, collaboration, flexible spaces, new systems and pedagogy and schools that stop fighting the shift that has happened in education. #isedchat
A2: The most innovative observable examples of innovation I witnessed are classes focused on entrepreneurship. @DonWettrick has amazing examples of this happening in his program. Also, some schools are giving Ss apprenticeships w/hospitals, fire depts, accountants etc. #isedchat
A2Innovation is usually related to technology, but it can also be linked to original methodologies to embark your practice in a novel and fresher way. “Thinking outside the box” is the expression that best describes innovation today. Lateral thinking is a must #isedchat
The definition of #innovation in #education is often different than that of other industries. Read more about innovation from the business dictionary here https://t.co/saQOtIB3iX. Outside teaching & learning, innovation is rarely synonymous with technology. #edtech#isedchat
A1 Again - what does this word "empower" mean? Empower to do what? With whose permission? Empower teachers? To do what? Go their own way? Autonomy? #isedchat
A2: Connecting with experts, empowering students to be leaders @pltworg#pltw, sparking their curiosity and creativity, using real-world issues as driving forces @newsela, cross-curricular investigations, learning with a true purpose #isedchat
A2: Years ago we started an #innovation Day at #HTEA where students could self-direct their learning and create their own end product to demonstrate learning. Wish we did more like this and at the higher grades. #isedchat
Q3 You hear an educational leader say, “Our school is very innovative... We have 1:1 laptops, interactive whiteboards, and 3D printers!” What are your thoughts on this statement? #isedchat
A2 Innovation is usually related to technology, but it can also be linked to original methodologies to embark your practice in a novel and fresher way. “Thinking outside the box” is the expression that best describes innovation today. Lateral thinking is a must #isedchat
A7 ERB @ERBlearn hosts an incredible annual meeting which typically includes a school visit. There is nothing more valuable than learning from other schools. #isedchat
A3 Wonderful tools but how is it being used? Innovation is not about the tools alone. It is about what is being created with the tools and the thought process behind it. Are the teachers mandating what is being done with the tools or is there voice and choice? #isedchat
A3 Those are tools! Those are our current pencils and notebooks, our school supplies. I wish to see them used across disciplines, across classrooms, and collaborating with our sister schools and those that are far away. #isedchat
Q3 I believe that technology is only one aspect of innovation. If we can be sure to include Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Math into our lessons, then we are truly being innovative. #isedchat
A3 In my opinion, many schools may have the advantage of 1-1 iPads and other technology items in the classrooms. However, it’s the way these items are being utilized. Are the children being engaged, motivated, creative or challenged with those tools? #isedchat
A3: We must stop using #TECHNOLOGY as a synonym for #INNOVATION in #EDUCATION. Technology amplifies human capacity. If our students can't think in agile, divergent, and creative ways, simply adding tech doesn't make teaching & learning innovative. #isedchat#edtech#techtools
Perhaps schools should give up on content coverage. Drop all traditional testing and exams. #isedchat And concentrate on "future" skills for a "future' world.
A8 Independent schools always need to be one step ahead. They should not just be places for superior academics, but schools where children are exposed to morals and ethics, community service and giving back, as well as understanding their role in the world around them #isedchat
Q3 You hear an educational leader say, “Our school is very innovative... We have 1:1 laptops, interactive whiteboards, and 3D printers!” What are your thoughts on this statement? #isedchat
A3 A good start. Innovation is usually linked to technology, and having the latest resources is positive. Of course, you can't judge a book by its binding, and the use of technology for its own sake has become a chronic and quite expensive mistake of the modern school. #isedchat
#Edtech amplifies pedagogical capacity... for better or worse. It doesn't automagically make it innovative. Knowing HOW to use tech (where to point & click) will not get you nearly as far as understanding WHY to use it (providing new opportunities for learning). #isedchat
A3: Oh no!!! Find the nearest exit :) If the leader has to point out the tools that are being used instead of the learning. We have a problem. #isedchat
A3 Just like Ts must scaffold the Ss’ skills from the bottom up, innovation is a scaffolding process. Innovation is relative to the situation and the learning group #isedchat
A3: It’s never about the tech tools! It’s about the thinking and what the students are doing. “Innovation” is not synonymous with “technology.” Let’s go deep with fewer tools and make memorable and valuable experiences for our kids! #isedchat
Innovation could mean ditching all the technologies of the past i.e. the schedule; the assessment routines and especially grades and grading; and breaking down walls - physical and metaphorical walls. #isedchat
St. Stephen's Episcopal Church is proud of St. Stephen's Episcopal Day School. Our "Little School By the Bay" has come so far in 60 years. Core values of community and faith in God, continue while SSEDS continues to set the pace in transformational education #isedchat
A BonusQ “Drive”, by Daniel Pink. Although not openly about education, it suggests that extrinsic motivation is a waste of time (and money) and that students get intrinsically motivated when they are allowed to perform in an environment of autonomy, mastery, and purpose #isedchat
Q4 What’s going on at your institution that is forward-thinking and that you believe is future-proofing your school? Feel free to give shoutouts to any colleagues if they’re on Twitter. #isedchat
A BonusQ “Drive”. This mindset can change our views about motivation, and will ultimately affect the school’s traditional posture in terms of rewards and punishment as a means to manage behavior and promote creativity. #isedchat
A8 Independent schools can be places of innovation and enlightenment where experimentation and new ideas can flourish. they have that freedom. Often however they are not in the vanguard of such thinking. #isedchat
A4: Infusing innovative lesson experiences into the classroom. Our innovation coaches, @jennyd28 and @StacyLopezEDU, plan with all Ts and work with Ss as well. This has been instrumental over the past 8 years. https://t.co/AAUL5z3eJX#isedchat
Bonusq: The Price of Privilege: How Parental Pressure and Material Advantage Are Creating a Generation of Disconnected and Unhappy Kids https://t.co/d8bbhT6CEz#isedchat
ABQ: Fierce Conversations Susan Craig Scott, The Coaching Habit Michael Bungay Stainer, Solve for Happy Mo Gawdat, Bold Moves for Schools by Heidi Hayes Jacobs and Marie HuBley Alcock The Essential 55 Ron Clark Grit Angela Duckworth, Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek. #isedchat
A4: Infusing innovative lesson experiences into the classroom. Our innovation coaches, @jennyd28 and @StacyLopezEDU, plan with all Ts and work with Ss as well. This has been instrumental over the past 8 years. https://t.co/8Skhp1vdTF#isedchat
Q3 They are great, but nothing but tools. Merely just having them means nothing if teachers are not equipped with the skills, knowledge and creativity to use them in a way that fosters growth and innovation with the students.. just tools to help them with the process. #isedchat
Q5 Most independent schools place a high value on their unique culture and/or traditions. What must happen in order to move forward into the unknown future yet maintain the school’s identity? #isedchat
A5 The culture and traditions center our school as we move into an unknown but exciting future. In any school of excellence culture and change are symbiotic: the school’s culture, cemented by its leadership, leads change. #isedchat
A5 Silvia, I love this powerful question. I feel that listening to students unique beliefs/ views and promoting self-expression constantly, empowers togetherness in our openhearted community while our focus remains on our school identity. #isedchat
A commitment to providing the best professional development opportunities available to our faculty, admin, and staff. Instills a love of life-long learning which carries over to our students #isedchat
Check out Carolina Friends, Poughkeepsie Day School, St. Anns's Brooklyn. No grades does work. Check out the work of the Mastery Transcript Consortium. #isedchat
In reply to
@ckoos1, @ingewassmann, @NoApp4Pedagogy
A5 Future will probably reshape certain cultural practices of every school, as a reflection of the changes occurring in the greater society where they exist, but those traits that belong to the core values of independent schools will remain #isedchat
A5 Stay true to your culture, traditions, we have so many! Our daily Flag Salute and announcements give all our students an opportunity to speak.#isedchat
Q6 will come from one of YOU! Submit a related question for this chat using this form: https://t.co/OhMsuptNWq (please do not submit via Twitter) and we will randomly select one to be Q6 #isedchat
A5: Stay true to the vision but don’t be afraid to refresh traditions with more meaningful and relevant ones. I also think it’s important for students to learn about and be part of the story of the school... past, present, and future. #isedchat
A5: Recognize that traditions have helped create the culture over time, but don't get bogged down in them. If your actions are mission-driven and stay true to core values, you can move forward while embracing the past. #isedchat
Initiatives painstakingly written move us boldly into the future and we have an amazing learning space to help facilitate more integration of subject matter and diving deeply into meaningful opportunities for all learners. I feel privileged to be a part of it. #isedchat
Loved hearing the different voices from independent schools tonight! Will look over the remainder of the chat tomorrow. Have to say goodnight. #isedchat
A3 Today we can find technology with an actual educational purpose, and the challenge is, I believe, to find what's really appropriate for the unique characteristics of our classes. #isedchat
Always filter a proposed change through the lens of SSEDS' mission, vision, and values. Does this change move the mission forward or is it change for the sake of change? #isedchat
A3: Innovation is about a way of thinking, not what technology you use. I have seen incredible innovations without technology and backward practice with. Mindset matters. #isedchat
Q3 You hear an educational leader say, “Our school is very innovative... We have 1:1 laptops, interactive whiteboards, and 3D printers!” What are your thoughts on this statement? #isedchat
Q7 As independent schools, we benefit greatly from organizations that focus on our needs and provide resources, PD, discounts, networking, etc. List some of your favorite orgs and conferences and let us know why they’re so great! #isedchat
A2: I love watching how schools are redefining professional learning to look more like what they hope for in classrooms. They are understanding learning from the viewpoint of their students and understanding what truly makes it better. #isedchat
A7.ACTFL (American Council for the Teaching of Foreign Languages): it provides information, networking, cutting edge insights to language teaching, an annual conference... Knowing a foreign language is and will be key in our society.
https://t.co/3j956yOHHv#isedchat
gcouros: A3: Innovation is about a way of thinking, not what technology you use. I have seen incredible innovations without technology and backward practice with. Mindset matters. #isedchathttps://t.co/onC1k6Osk3
Q3 You hear an educational leader say, “Our school is very innovative... We have 1:1 laptops, interactive whiteboards, and 3D printers!” What are your thoughts on this statement? #isedchat
gcouros: A2: I love watching how schools are redefining professional learning to look more like what they hope for in classrooms. They are understanding learning from the viewpoint of their students and understanding what truly makes it better. #isedchathttps://t.co/qY9gBOGWEE
A6 Keeping in mind that students learn differently now, providing more personalized instruction to meet their needs, keep them engaged, and learning those soft skills that translate into whatever the future may hold in store for them. #isedchat
A7 My favorite conference is @ShiftinEdu for its forward-thinking approach and top-notch speakers. @learningandtheb gets an honorable mention for the latest research with regards to education. #isedchat
A6: Learning experiences should be relevant to real world issues and Ss need to be able to analyze, imagine, and be able to create solutions to these problems. For that they need empathy, communication, and collaboration skills. Love, Learn, Laugh, and Live #isedchat
NAES National Association of Episcopal Schools because they provide ongoing webinars and monthly missives that provide incredible resources for us as an Episcopal School.#isedchat
A8 The easy answer is our culture. I posit that the independent schools’ autonomous leadership is crucial. Forward thinking leadership can anticipate educational shifts and incorporate and support the methodology appropriate to its school. #isedchat
Q8 I believe that we must focus on the child first. If we continue to encourage students to become the best versions of themselves possible, then independent schools will always be the parents' first choice. #isedchat
A8 Independent schools can remain attractive with transparency and ever-growing connection with the community. By scaling meaningful connections using new technology without losing human connection. #isedchat
A8
We must work hard to offer a comprehensive training: fostering intellectual/academic training as well as values training. All this is key in this pluralistic society. Many parents are aware of it.
#isedchat
A8 They will remain appealing to families since they will still represent an ideal of excellence. Independent schools are more flexible and thus more ready to respond to the demands of an increasingly changing society. #isedchat
A8: Don’t try to do it all. Stick to our identity and always keep the best interests of the student in mind. Are we giving them what they need or what we need? #isedchat
A8 Families take active part in the life of independent school, so there's a real sense of "community" that is not entirely present in other school contexts (I know this). Besides, teachers and students have a space to grow and devote themselves to their passion. #isedchat
Thanks to everyone who came out to be part of our Independent Schools Educators Chat! This was extremely fun, insightful, and thought-provoking. My wish is for the betterment of the institutions of all involved! #isedchat
A8: When we focus on the well-being of our Ss, families, and faculty, we can't go wrong. Together we are better! Belonging to a community of love, learning, and listening will always steer us in the right way. #isedchat
A2 Innovation as the habit of finding the unconventional solution to a problem is becoming the crucial feature for schools to adopt and promote. #isedchat
