The Passionate Learner Experiment Begins!

My Microschool's inaugural course, "The Passionate Learner Project" is underway.  Tn incredible Superhero Learners (who are currently in grades 4-12) and their Parent Allies have taken a risk with me, as we experiment with a new way of learning!

Superhero Learners are using digital literacy skills to answer the question: how might we change the world in one day? They will complete 24 hours of work in the next 10 weeks. Together, we are creating a game that will guide their highly personalized and passion-based learning.

They are working their way through the several quests in Mission 1: You Are a Superhero. They are exploring what kind of teacher they need and what kind of learner they are.

Learners work their way through the Mission Dossiers I send to them at their own pace, in their own way.

In the coming days, each learner will launch a Digital HQ where they will document their learning. I hope you'll follow along and add to the conversation! We need allies to cheer on the learners, challenge their thinking and add their influence. We are so happy to welcome Lisa Paterson as a Yoga coach to the Superheroes in Mission 2. If you want to be a part of The Passionate Learner Experiment as an ally, let me know!

To whet your appetite, I have to share one learner's approach to Quest 1.1  

We have space for a couple more learners to come on board if you know anyone who would like to play and learn with us!

The Emotional Rollercoaster of Following Your Dreams

This post originally appeared on the MapleSyrupEdu blog

I used to really, really love roller coasters. I was one of those kids and teens who would hop off of a ride, only to run back into line, ready to ride it again. Some of my happiest days were those at theme parks, when the crowd was so small that the line was non-existent and I could twirl my finger around in a little circle to the ride operator, and they would send me through the coaster again.

In LA last fall, I rode a Universal Studios roller coaster four times in a row, just like this. I can’t believe I used to be able to ride all day. It took me hours to lose the dizziness I gained in four minutes of joy.

The last year of my life has been a real-life roller coaster, of the emotional variety. It’s been a roller coaster in the best possible way. It’s the emotional roller coaster of following my dreams.

You’re going to join me on a walkthrough of my ride, and the emotional ups and downs I’ve experienced. This is possible with the power of imagination, which I’m going to ask you to use for the next few minutes.

My ride started much like many roller coasters do. I had to slowly, laboriously walk up to the top, then trust the ride vehicle to take me safely up and down hills and through spirals and loop-de-loops. For twenty-two years, I walked towards the line-up for this rollercoaster. Along the way, I passed through schools and relationships. Then, I got in line for the ride. The line took me ten years. In those ten years, I passed through more schools, more relationships and got to bring hundreds of students with me on the journey up those stairs. I found a steady job, bought a house, got married, could explain my job in one word: “teacher” and felt pretty comfy.

Then I got to the front of the line. A few things happened to change my momentum completely. I got a book deal and my husband got a new job. The book deal took hold of the operating controls of the rollercoaster and sped up all my dreams. Captain Handsome’s new job was in a new city. I took a 100% pay cut and undexpectedly, found myself in the seat of a ride vehicle without a seatbelt. The ride I thought I knew was history. Getting to the front of the line, I realized the ride I’d planned to take many years down the road was now was the one I was about to embark on, but at a much faster speed and without the security measures I’d expected. I’d always wanted to write a book. I like new challenges and new adventures. I was ready to see where this ride took me.

My husband had already started his ride and, taking a deep breath, I followed.

The ride has taken me ten months so far. The first drop was stomach churning and heart wrenching. I had to leave my amazing grade ¾ students, The Gladiator Snails, two months before the school year ended.

Several months of the ride were incredibly boring to anyone watching from the ground, expecting screams of terror or joy. My rollercoaster was quiet, passing through coffee shops, libraries and cafes. I rode, laptop burning a hole in my lap, fingers flying over the keyboard as I poured my heart into 115 000 words of my first book. Days, weeks and months on the coaster were quiet.

There were bumps and turns as deadlines loomed, editors gave feedback and my Alpha and Beta reader teams dissected my words. Despite what looked so dull from the outside, my screams came. Some of them were silent. Some were witnessed by my most trusted friends and family. I screamed with frustration. I screamed with self doubt. I screamed with relief.

Some days, the coaster brought me high into the sky. I’d always wanted to share my stories and ideas, and my students’ stories and ideas with a larger audience. Getting to write a book allowed me to do that. Those days, all I could see what the big, blue sky.

My roller coaster has taken several long, low dips. I have had my breath literally taken away with really bad viruses that slowed down the speed of the ride and dragged me very low.

Some days, my stomach was in my throat, as I freefell. I questioned everything I did and everything I thought and everything I wrote.

Some days I dreaded having to face my computer and my thoughts. Some days I just wanted to get off the ride.

Some days, the tracks were heading upwards, yet I felt like I was being pulled downwards. I got mad at myself for not being grateful for the ride I was lucky enough to be on.

For months, my ride was intensely private, almost as if the tracks of my rollercoaster took me through dark, lonely buildings. I felt quiet and invisible. Sometimes I forgot the world. Sometimes, it felt like the world forgot me.

Then, the coaster would surprise me and I’d flip over, seeing the world in a new way. I realized that the coaster tracks were ones I’d built over the years and that, even though it felt unsafe and scary at times, that there were things guiding me on a strong path. I realized that the highest parts of my track were supported by people who love me and believe in me. I could see my former students and their families holding up the track. My husband was there to push my ride vehicle back up the tracks when it dipped and slowed. He could even lift it back onto the tracks when one wheel, or all of them, came off. My family and friends were there to build new supports as unexpected turns appeared. There were people there to believe in me, even when I didn’t believe in myself.

Suddenly, the roller coaster stopped. My manuscript was finished, but not yet a book. The writing process was over. I had time to steer the rollercoaster in a new direction. I reconnected with people and with the world. I got outside more. I went on a trip. I worked to build other people’s rollercoasters and cheer them on as they rode.

A few days before I expected it to, the rollercoaster abruptly started again. My book was released. People who I hadn’t heard from in years started to stand alongside the rollercoaster tracks and cheer me on.

After the months of a quiet, solitary routine, I was riding through a bright, noisy world. It was the scariest part of the ride. People could see me now. They could even see into my head and heart through the words in my book. My track was being built faster than I could comprehend and I couldn’t come to terms with the new ride fast enough. I felt like I was watching someone else on the ride.

Trusted family and friends stepped in and slowed down the ride. They hopped into the ride vehicle next to me and rode with me. Through their eyes, I began to see more clearly where I had come from and what I had accomplished. They pointed out incredible directions that my ride could take next. I started to feel some of the pride they felt for me for myself. I began to breathe more easily.

I was launched into the sky when I got the first photos of people reading my book. People shared what they were learning from my words. My students were excited to see themselves in the pages. Suddenly, I couldn’t describe my job in one word anymore. Now, I was an educator (out of the classroom) and an author.

The book finished, I was no longer actively authoring and I was happy to stick my hands in the air and be taken on a ride, celebrating what I had accomplished. Even though I was feeling more relaxed, there was no end to the ride in sight.

I had to start building a new track. I had to steer my rollercoaster to somewhere new. The first, defined ride of writing a book had finished, but my journey had not. Once again, I found myself facing a huge drop into the unknown.

Even though the first part of the ride had its ups and downs, I feel so grateful to have had the chance to get on. I feel so lucky that I got to the front of the line. I feel brave for having taken the risk of getting on a new ride.

Right now, I’ve taken the fast-track once again. My ten-year goal of opening a school feels to far away. I don’t want to stay on the same ride for ten whole years. Instead, I’ve skipped over the track I thought I’d ride and am creating a new one. Looking past the dip to the track of my new ride, I can only see a fuzzy picture of it. I know that there are lots of dips and bumps, spins and flips. I like the future I see ahead.

My job, once again, has become harder to describe. I’m becoming an alphabetical list of roles. I am now an author, a blue sky thinker, a consultant, a designer and an educator.

After a deep breath, the coaster starts again and I fly past the huge dip, stomach threatening to come out my mouth. Right now, I am riding directly up, looking into a big blue sky, seeing dreams begin to materialize in the clouds above me. I don’t know what will come next, but I can’t wait to see.

Blue Sky High - What If YOU Designed a High School?

Walt Disney encouraged people to think big. And then he encouraged them to think bigger. He asked them about their blue sky dreams. Look up at the sky. You can't see the end of it. That's how you should dream. There is no limit to how high or how big you can dream.

Right now, I'm blue sky thinking about high school.

My blue sky dream is to open a grade 4-12 inclusive, immersive, experiential school that caters to all types of learners and empowers them to be confident life long learners who can solve real world problems.

I am researching the current structures and systems of public and private high schools around the world to learn more about how users (students) feel about their experiences there.

I would love to learn about your high school experiences, what worked and what didn't work for you as a teenage learner.

I would also love to pick your brain about what we could achieve in high school. Imagine that the existing systems and structures were wiped clean and you could learn in a way that works for you. What could high school look like, feel like and empower our students to do?

What if formal schooling could be more about preparing learners for their lives than preparing them for more formal schooling (and all that entails, like standardized expectations, a focus on memorization of content and high-stakes testing)? Imagine the possibilities!

One way that I am gathering user input is through a survey. I am also conducting one-on-one interviews, starting an online discussion group (on Voxer) and planning dream-building workshops. If you want to share your experience and ideas, or learn along with me, let me know!

Your input will be helpful for my personal research, writing, educational consulting work and eventual my own eventual Blue Sky High creation.

To start off, I am collecting your thoughts in a quick (5-10 minute) survey. Please fill out the embedded survey (also linked here)

This post includes (creative commons licensed) images that inspire me in my blue sky dreaming about schooling. These were included in a document I shared with artist Jeannette Langmead, in the creation of her masterpiece that is the cover of my book.

A Work Space Where No One Works: 11 Lessons from Innovative Work Spaces

Today, I visited a couple of friends at Idea Couture, a strategic innovation and experience design firm.

Every word in their title and description is amazing. Imagine if you described your school in a similar way. Schools should be strategic and innovative. We should carefully design the experiences for our students (and staff and families). Ideas should be fresh and couture - they should be designed to our students' specific requirements. It wouldn't be enough to just describe your school this way. In fact, fancy mission statements and statements of vision mean nothing without follow through. The day to day operations of your organization need to match the words you use to describe it, or they need to change.

This summer, I visited a couple of innovation hubs (MaRS and CommuniTech), which, like Idea Couture, have put a lot of time and thought into the design of their space. Schools can be innovative hubs and the physical design of them should reflect this idea.

Idea Couture published a book called "No One Works Here." The secret subtitle that appears inside the book is "Everyone Plays Here." This would be another great way to be able to describe school. Instead of looking at learning as work, if our students looked at it as play, we would see an increase in engagement and excitement.

I was really impressed by Idea Couture's atmosphere, right from the moment I walked in. I have a school in my head and I am constantly gathering inspiration for it. If I could kick out the staff at Idea Couture and move my grade 4-12 students in, I think we could do some amazing things.

Schools can learn lessons about turning work into play by carefully designing learning spaces from innovative companies like Idea Couture.

Lesson 1
Celebrate individuality and learn about the importance of branding.

photo from ideacouture.com

Everyone is encouraged to make their mark at Idea Couture. When they are hired, they're given a plastic toy bear that is like a blank canvas. They can decorate, brand and individualize them in any way they choose. At their San Fransciso office, they have several of these bears on display in a gallery.

photo from ideacouture.com

From the beginning of the year, students should know that their classroom is their space. For the past few years, my students spend part of their first day of school decorating a shaped popsicle stick. We use these for many purposes throughout the year, including as washroom passes, to determine partners and groups and to draw names in random order for a variety of activities. By expressing themselves and individualizing one of these on their first day, students get a chance to tell their own stories.

Lesson 2
Celebrate and commemorate past successes.

photo from ideacouture.com

One of the seating and working areas is decorated with stylized posters of some of the past projects Idea Couture has completed. There are simply designed graphics that represent clients and products they have worked on. These can provide inspiration for guests and clients, as they are posted in an area that is as close to a waiting room as IC has. It is also a work space for employees and is surely intended to celebrate their past work and successes.

In your classroom, the walls can be covered in student work, instead of store-bought posters. Tell the story of your team and what you have accomplished. Showcase your learning and successes.

Lesson 3

Write and share your story.

IC has bears that help individuals share their stories. They have posters that share the story of the company for visitors. They also publish a quarterly magazine and books to share their ideas, work, philosophies and lessons for others.

I'm sure other educators would have similar excitement when my friend told me that I could take a copy of any or all of the books that are beautifully designed and were on display all over the three stories of the office. I left with a backpack that was so full of gorgeous new hardcover books that I was worried about the stitching on the straps. You'll be happy to hear that I made it home safe, as did my backpack. My shoulders were less fortunate.

My cat is concerned that these books will cost her my attention. 

Help your students write and share their learning story and share it widely. Though you likely don't have the capabilities to print gorgeous hardcover books, you can share your photos, videos, work and writing very professionally for free. Make use of media that is available to you and help your students create media to share with their families and the world. It is no longer enough to share a newsletter with parents or a yearbook commemorating the events of the whole year. Make a class blog. Have a class Twitter account. Create videos and share them on a class YouTube account. Update these regularly by sharing your students words, ideas, work and reflections on their learning.

Lesson 4
Create a space that is inclusive.
On the doors to the washrooms at IC, I noticed labels that were a bit unusual. Instead of a recognizable stick person, each of the two washrooms was labelled with "He/Xe" or "She/Xe." Xe is a gender-neutral pronoun and the writing on these washrooms made it clear that any person was welcome to use these facilities, regardless of assigned gender.

From my understanding, "Xe" is theoretical pronoun and many people, instead, prefer the gender-neutral pronoun "they." I appreciate the effort with the labels, regardless.

There is considerable debate happening in educational institutions about how to make all learners feel included. Gender-neutral and private washrooms are a great step.

Lesson 5
Value physical activity and brain boots.
IC has devoted two rooms to physical activity. They have a small gym, with a treadmill and weights and a ping-pong room. Employees can self-select when they need a brain boost and use these rooms to play or exercise. They also have a single golf hole set up on one floor.

In your classroom, create time and space for students to boost their brain power through physical movement. Full class activities from a site like GoNoodle are great. Providing students with tools and strategies to self select brain boosts is also important. I have had a stationary bike and mini trampolines in my classroom for this purpose. Students practice Brain Gym and use the actions they've learned to renew and refresh themselves as needed. I do not control the times they are "allowed" to do these activities. They know their bodies and take time when they need it, making sure to be respectful of others' work habits.

Lesson 6
Everything is a writing surface.
Most of the walls in IC do not have permanent art or decorations. They are covered in white boards. Windows are used for writing on. There are large, portable whiteboards in common working spaces. Neon sticky notes and colourful dry erase markings cover every surface. The tables seemed to be covered in whiteboard paint, but I told they weren't. Being a visitor, I didn't test it out to try to prove myself right.

not IC, from logovisual.com

More and more schools are investing in whiteboard paint on walls and tables and giving students opportunities to write and draw ideas all over their classrooms. You can buy a large sheet of whiteboard at a hardware store and have the employees cut it into one foot by one foot squares for students to use instead of paper. My biggest problem is always in keeping enough whiteboard markers in working order. They dry out easily and can be very expensive. Doodling in one of the rooms at IC, I realized that schools are not unique in having this problem.

Lesson 7
Be transparent.
I have fallen in love with, instead of total open concept, lots of different sizes of work spaces with transparent walls (otherwise known as windows). IC has several conference rooms, meeting spaces and offices that have at least one glass wall. The benefits to this are many. I saw writing on several of these windows. A wall of windows provides the perfect mix of privacy and transparency. People can speak to one and other without being overheard or disrupting others, but as you walk by, you can see what they are doing. Natural light is disbursed throughout the entire floor when workspaces with windows to the outside world also have windows to the inside world of the office.

not IC, photo from southwestsolutions.com

The school in my head looks a lot like this. Students will work in groups in windowed rooms and cubes. As they walk by, other students and staff are encouraged to look in, see what's going on and enter, sharing their input.

Lesson 8
Use a variety of tools: analog and digital. 
Employees at IC had laptops at their desks, or on their laps (as the name helpfully suggests). They also have piles of paper with jars of markers and pencils. Whiteboard markers and whiteboards are all over the office, as mentioned earlier.

Some schools (more specifically, purchasers for some schools) believe that innovation will happen when students and teachers are given fancy new technology tools. By investing in devices for all students or SmartBoards in all classrooms, they believe that learning will transform. The tools are only that, tools. It's up to the user to effectively harness the power of thinking and learning, and use a tool to enhance that. Make sure that your students have access to and strategies for using analog and digital tools.

Lesson 9
Be flexible.
IC provides desk space to employees, but nearly all the desks were empty. Instead, people were working on couches and in collaborative work spaces surrounded by windows.

When they have the choice in my classroom, many students lie on the carpet to do their work. Some sit on benches or stand up. My dream school is full of a variety of flexible learning spaces that feel more like living rooms, cafes and restaurants than a traditional institution. In ten years of teaching, I have never had individual student desks. I scrounge for tables and make spaces for students to work individually or in groups.

Lesson 10
Flatten the hierarchy through sharing the space.
Though senior team members, including the CEO have offices at IC, they are not wasted space when they are not being used. The CEO was out of his office when I visited and groups, including ours, use the space. Like many of the collaborative work spaces, his has a huge window as the internal wall. Instead of a desk and filing cabinets, as you might expect in a CEO's office, there is a huge conference table surrounded by comfortable chairs, welcoming working groups. Next to that office is another large office, this one with a similar set up in addition to a short table with floor pillows. People can work by sitting at a regular height table or by sitting on the floor at the much shorter one.

Lots of educators are being encouraged to get rid of teacher desks to make room in their classroom for students. Acknowledging that teachers spend a lot of time working at their desks after school and in breaks, I don't think this is necessary. Instead, I think it is an individual choice, but the placement of a teacher desk (or, even better, table) should be carefully considered. The classroom that is familiar to many is one with the teacher's desk at the front of the room, backed by a black (or white) board. The students sit in rows of desks, facing that. Though much of student seating has changed, teacher desks often remain in the "traditional" position. I would encourage teachers to consider placing their desk in a corner of the classroom and making a point to work with their students at it and around the room as much as possible.

I will not sit at the front of the classroom all day. I will not sit at the front of my classroom all day. I will not sit at the front of my classroom all day. Write that on the blackboard 20 times.

Visually and in practice, eliminating the hierarchy of individual work spaces, creates a more welcoming atmosphere.

Lesson 11
Inject fun through themes and names.
Each of the collaborative work and meeting spaces at IC has the name and image of a toy or game on it. Instead of meeting someone in conference room B, you might meet them in "Tinker Toys." At MaRS in Toronto, the conference rooms are labelled with inspiring quotes.

In a classroom, themed immersion adds an element of fun to the culture. Use language and names that are relevant to your students. Give them the opportunity to pick them. We had "Work Apartments," instead of "standing files" for students to store their notebooks. They used class iPads that they named "Isaac," "Ivy" and "Ilys."

Spoiler alert: This is very similar to the school in my head.
Photo from The Jetsons

Design is important in everything we do. Consider the purpose for a space instead of just doing what's "always been done." Create a place where people feel engaged and excited to work and learn.