I work in Gifted Education. It is a field that I deeply believe in. When I first started teaching a GT class, it was a eureka moment. My teaching went to a different level and I had fun. I loved this population of students and was amazed at their dedication, curiosity, and ability. They kept me on my toes and my teaching changed...I was no longer a holder of knowledge but a curator of resources who could lead them to the information they needed.
But, the GT field must innovate or it will die. I see too much of Blockbuster in Gifted Education. As a relatively young player in the world of education, gifted education looks very similar to what it did years ago. When people try to change service delivery or try new approaches there is often a ringing of the fear of change. I want to change the mindset so change is embraced "an opportunity to do something amazing."
As I go through this #IMMOOC, I want to look through a lens of how I can apply the Innovator Mindset to Gifted Education.
My takeaways from the Introduction and Chapter One are:
- We forget that if students leave school less curious than when they started, we have failed them (4)
- Compliance does not foster innovation (5)
- If we want people to take risks, they have to know we are there to catch them and support them (7)
- Moving away from a culture of compliance to create engagement and ultimately, empower those in our schools (7)
- Shift from telling to listening (7)
- When we stop worrying about who is best and concern ourselves with helping everyone succeed (9)
- Twenty-first century education is not about the test; it is about something bigger (9)
- Innovation can come from either"invention" or "iteration", but if it does not meet the idea of "new and better," it is not innovative(19)
- A single idea can completely change our thinking (25)
Ruth, I really like what Innovator's Mindset says about compliance. In the truly traditional sense, compliance LOOKS great. I bet if a parent walked down the Kindergarten hall at my son's school, they'd be amazed. The students are perfectly silent walking down the hall, they walk into the classroom without talking, they unpack and put their book bags away, sit down, get out their journal, and begin writing. Every. Single. Day. Most of the students are compliant, and those that aren't get to start the day by "clipping down" on the colored behavior chart. I never thought anything of this until I started reading this book. Now I'm wondering, where is the excitement? Where are the bubbling kids who can't wait to get to the classroom to see what they're going to do for the day. Are these little robots really what we want for our kids...even though it makes for a "smoother" day? ~Lauren
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