Video Episode 12 - Alan Morgan on facilitation and mindset change

We discuss transitioning from business into education, “finding your element”, loving what you do.  How Montessori techniques are still working, why creativity and innovative teaching engages and fosters a mindset change.  The transition from sage on stage lecturer to facilitator – and how difficult this can be.  Avoiding banana-skins, and co-creating learning. 

• Gary Ridge – CEO of WD40 – 4 concepts around the mindset for leadership:

1. Collaboration
2. Inclusivity
3. Being purpose driven
4. Always be in a learning mode

• Robert Greenleaf – Servant Leadership – https://www.greenleaf.org/what-is-servant-leadership/
• Clay Christiansen – Harvard – disruptive innovation - https://hbr.org/2015/12/what-is-disruptive-innovation
• Andria Zafirakou – winner of the 2018 Global Teacher Prize - https://www.globalteacherprize.org/person?id=4090
• High Tech High - https://www.hightechhigh.org/
• California Polytechnic (Cal Poly) - https://www.calpoly.edu/ - “learn by doing”
• Big picture learning - https://www.bigpicture.org/
• London Interdisciplinary School - https://www.londoninterdisciplinaryschool.org/
• IBAT College - https://www.ibat.ie/
• The Hero’s Journey – John Campbell - https://amzn.to/36xmQHS 

Books:

• Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience by Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly - https://amzn.to/3i3tkDI
• World Class Learners: Educating Creative and Entrepreneurial Students by Zong Zhao - https://amzn.to/3k5vaqs
• Effectuation: Elements of Entrepreneurial Expertise by Saras D. Sarasvathy - https://amzn.to/3AS8uzS

 

The fundamental world view for effectuation is called the Pilot-in-the-plane, which describes the future as something you can influence by your actions, i.e. you can create your own opportunities.

The four principles of effectuation are:

1. Bird-in-Hand: You have to create solutions with the resources available here and now.
2. Lemonade principle: Mistakes and surprises are inevitable and can be used to look for new opportunities.
3. Crazy Quilt: Entering into new partnerships can bring the project new funds and new directions.
4. Affordable loss: You should only invest as much as you are willing to lose.

 

Ref: https://innovationenglish.sites.ku.dk/model/sarasvathy-effectuation/

 

Podcasts:

Inside education – Episode 38 interviewing Professor Zong Zhao - https://insideeducation.podbean.com/e/programme-398-yong-zhao-on-globalisation-technology-entrepreneurship-education-25-4-20/

 

Quotes:

“Creative leadership is about challenging the status quo.  It’s about believing in the way we actually can think differently.”

 

“I’ve seen these educators go back to their classrooms and they fundamentally change what they do, and re-imagine education in a way that’s better.”

 

“The first challenge is the system, the second is the people who work in the system…”

 

Quoting a recent round-table with Andreas Schleicher at the UCD Innovation Academy – “It’s up to the teaching profession to change the teaching profession – don’t be waiting for Govt. policy.  Change from the grass-roots, and then that will inform policy…”

 

Call to action – look deeply into what you are currently doing, and ask – is this working and could I do it better?  Reflect on your own practice, and engage more in an experiential learning model.

 

The UCD Innovation Academy Professional Certificate/Diploma in  Creativity & Innovation in Education is at https://www.innovators.ie/creativity-and-innovation-for-education/