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/

This week on the show I’m taking you to Georgia Tech. From diversity, to innovation to academic excellence it’s one of the top ranking universities with a vision to develop leaders who advance technology and improve the human condition. Today I’m speaking with Wayne Li and Michael Flanigan about how they use design thinking to carry out the vision of the university.  In this episode we discuss: Why design thinking is a lifestyle Why the traditional model of school leads to children feeling shame and insecurity The goal of the Design Bloc program at Georgia Tech and how they use design thinking practices Why students and faculty engage in community projects using design thinking The influence Design Bloc projects have had on empowering the community with design thinking practices The mindset shifts they see in students who are in the Design Bloc How students in K12 can leverage a portfolio to stand out in the admissions process

Part one of my conversation with Adam and Larissa, co-founders of MakeTeamWork, discusses why a culture of trust and psychological safety is critical for creating successful teams. A talk regarding masculine and feminine cultures was one of the most intriguing aspects of our chat.   In a feminine society, the emphasis is on the quality of life and the people. While in a male society, competitiveness, accomplishment, and success are valued. A culture that pervades all institutions, especially schools. It's the difference between working to live and living to work.   The only way to ensure that everyone can contribute to uncovering and addressing issues, as well as seizing opportunities, is to ensure that everyone has access to a high-quality, equal education.   0:00 Introduction 1:33 Talking about Finland as an example of ' feminine'  education 4:40 What is the Quirky Owl program? 9:40 Why is it so hard to be authentic as a leader? 16:48. How does the ' Start-Stop-Continue' strategy works? 20:06 Adam and Larissa's case studies 25:25 Neema's experience with the project Imagine September 28:44 Importance of technology for education, when paired with a focus on relationships 30:24 Neema's advice for designing human-centered environments 32:52 What changed for Neema as a teacher after the pandemics? 35:41 How 'the great resignation' will impact educators in the future? 39:52 Adam and Larissa's tips for design teams and schools that meet students today's needs   Reserve Your Free Ticket for the Launch of the Documentary- https://designingschools.org/documentary    Connect with Larissa / Adam / Neema:   Website: maketeamwork.com Larissa LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/larissamenocci/ Adam LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamambrozy/ MakeTeamWork LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/maketeamwork/   Neema: Twitter - @AvashiaNeema   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/