Discussing the vision for schools and how we need to work together to be better for our students

1. Collaborate. Create.
Learn.
Creating the schools our kids need

2. http://todaysmeet.com/igenatl

3. http://bit.ly/igenatl
#igenatl

4. I was there...

5. ...now I’m
here.

6. IF WE COULD START FROM SCRATCH,
WHAT WOULD SCHOOLS LOOK LIKE?

7. Remember...kids are different now.

8. THIS IS ABOUT THE
EVOLUTION OF SCHOOLS

9. “Instead, the individuals who are emerging as the new “winners”—the new thrivers—of
the twenty-first century are those who possess above-average creativity, strong
analytical skills, a knack for foresight, and—surprise, surprise—good people skills.”
Stephen Covey

10. From: http://
engage.education.alberta.ca/
inspiring-action/

11. Trinity
Student

12. They lost money because
they didn’t adapt.
What are we willing to
lose?

13. WHAT ARE WE
WAITING FOR?

14. Collaborate. Create. Learn

15. Collaborate.

16. You.Me.
We.

17. “Everybody needs help in this game...We're all susceptible to falling down and
being exposed. But when we lose our fear of that, and look to each other, then
vulnerability turns into strength, and we can take responsibility for our place in
the larger context of the team and embrace a vision in which the group
imperative takes precedence over personal glory.”
~Phil Jackson

18. AUTONOMY. MASTERY.
PURPOSE.

19. “We don't need sweeter carrots and sharper sticks...we
need a whole new approach.”
Daniel Pink

20. “Human beings have an innate inner drive to be
autonomous, self-determined, and connected
to one another. And when that drive is liberated, people
achieve more and live richer lives.” Daniel Pink

21. What works for us, often works for kids.

22. Motivation a
Autonomy: The urge to direct
our own lives.
Mastery: The desire to get
better at something that matters.
Purpose: The yearning to do
what we do in the service of
something larger than ourselves.

23. Motivation...in schools a
Autonomy: The urge to direct Autonomy: The urge to direct
our own lives. our own teaching/learning.
Mastery: The opportunity and
Mastery: The desire to get
time to deepen and improve our
better at something that matters.
practice.
Purpose: The yearning to do Purpose: The importance of
what we do in the service of contributing to the greater school
something larger than ourselves. vision.

24. When people in organizations focus only on their position, they
have little sense of responsibility for the results produced
when all positions interact. Moreover, when results are
disappointing, it can be very difficult to know why. All you can
do is assume that “someone screwed up.”
- Peter Senge

25. SCHOOL TEACHERS VS.
CLASSROOM TEACHERS

26. WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR
ALL CHILDREN

27. Learning needs to be seen as a continuous journey, not
done in “chunks”.

29. Conne

31. WE NEED TO DRAW UPON THE
EXPERTISE OF OUR PARENTS.

32. Revisiting Learning Spaces

35. We need to rethink and
effectively use our learning
spaces

36. “Involve your students’ parents as much as you can. Try
thinking of them as your students as well, that is, as people you
are educating.” Marc Prensky

37. The Power of Sharing

41. Connected Principals

45. Create.

46. “We should not be blown away by our students; we should
be expecting even more from them.” Marc Prensky

47. Flow

48. IF WE HAVE ACCESS TO
ALL INFORMATION, HOW
DO WE MOVE FORWARD?

52. From: http://
www.ecorazzi.com/
2008/02/13/british-
supermarket-tesco-
doubles-order-for-free-
range-chickens/
Is this picture okay to have
in this presentation?

53. From: http://
www.ecorazzi.com/
2008/02/13/british-
supermarket-tesco-
doubles-order-for-free-
range-chickens/
Is this picture okay to have
in this presentation?

54. cc licensed flickr photo by
steren.giannini: http://flickr.com/
photos/steren/2732488224/

55. PASSION (PERSONALIZED)
BASED LEARNING

56. “We are students of words: we are shut up in schools,
and colleges, for ten or fifteen years, and come out
at last with a bag of wind, a memory of words, and
do not know a thing.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

57. “Once children
leave childhood,
they can never
return. Childhood
affords them the
time to be creative
dreamers.”
Jenifer Fox

58. A CHILD’S
IMAGINATION IS
ENDLESS

59. Transfer of
Ownership

60. Innovation Day

61. Student Led Assemblies
Hip Hop
Identity Day
Forest Green News
Student Led Conference
1-1 Laptop Program

63. If we are doing a good job in schools, we
are not only preparing our students to be
leaders in the future, but leaders today.

64. THIS IS NOT LIMITED
TO STUDENTS...

65. “Leadership is communicating
people’s worth and potential so
clearly that they are inspired to
see it in themselves.”
Stephen Covey

66. Our Professional
Development Plan

67. Learn.

68. It is not enough to simply stand our ground
and expect people to follow us. As leaders
we sometimes need to cross the bridge, meet people
where they are, and walk beside them as they
move to where we know we need to be.

69. The most important role a leader
can play education is that of a
learner.

70. TRANSPARENT AND
CONTINUOUS LEARNING

71. http://georgecouros.ca
http://connectedprincipals.com

72. Continuous (Transparent) Learning

74. LEAD LEARNER VS. TEACHER

75. WE NEED TO ASK THE SAME
OF OURSELVES THAT WE DO
OUR STUDENTS.

76. Growth Fixed
What is your mindset?

78. DOES THIS LOOK
DIFFERENT FROM GRADE
TO GRADE?

79. We need to focus on engaged learning,
not big rewards.

80. Learning vs. Performance

81. This kills me

83. The question that should be
behind every answer in
education...
what is best for kids?

84. Moving Forward

85. We can no longer work
in isolation

86. We need to learn alongside
our students

87. How many of us purposefully and
explicitly model the learning process
for our children? How many of us
stand up in front of kids and say,
"This is what I'm learning right now.”
Scott McLeod

90. THE MOST IMPORTANT
SKILL WE NEED TO
IMPART TO OUR
STUDENTS IS
LEARNING TO LEARN

91. No matter how far we are,
we need to get on the path.

92. We have to keep asking...
WHAT WILL MAKE YOUR CLASSROOM
SCHOOL EXCEPTIONAL?

94. GET BETTER...
OUR KIDS DESERVE IT

95. Contact Me
Email - georgecouros@gmail.com Email - gcouros@psd70.ab.ca
Twitter - @gcouros Blog - georgecouros.ca