Teaching+and+the+Change+Process

Introduction Welcome to the course //Teaching and the Change Process//. I am the professor Dr. Michael Gill.

Course Outline

Main Idea Teaching is change; learning is change. Merriam-Webster.com defines //change// as “to give a different position, course or direction to” and “ to make different in some particular manner.” Learning is the ability to “solve problems, think critically, communicate effectively, and collaborate well.” (Gagnon & Collay, 2006) Teachers, then, facilitate learning experiences by teaching students to think innovatively about change and the problem solving process. Each minute, period, day, month and year, teachers are required to create and sustain changes in their students and their teaching.

Work for Week of August 4, 2015 Read the Gladwell article “In the Air,” (go to the Gladwell link below and search for the article under the New Yorker archive) and answer the following questions:

v What role does change play in the article?

v How do “big ideas” become less rare?

v How can schools develop and facilitate “big ideas?” Write a one page analysis based upon the questions above and be prepared to discuss in class on Thursday.

Assignments for the Week of August 11, 2015 1. Read either "Our Iceberg is Melting" or "Who Moved my Cheese". Complete the corresponding chart for either book (see course materials below). Submit completed organizer via email or hard copy. 2. Watch the video about school and creativity produced by TED and the speech given by Sir Ken Robinson - the link is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wX78iKhInsc Answer the following questions and submit a one page reflection:

Why does Robinson claim schools are destroying creativity?

How does he suggest we should "do" school differently?

What are three ideas from the video you can incorporate into your schools/classrooms?

Assignments for Week of August 18, 2015 2. Watch the video from the Search Institute: [] Read the book "The Velveteen Rabbit." How can developmental relationships improve student learning and progress in schools? How would this book help you to explain the students the importance of relationships? Submit a one page analysis.

Read the article in the packet "A Long Hardwood Journey" from the packet. Write a one page analysis commenting on how the article relates to change, teaching, learning and leadership.

Work for Week of August 25, 2015 1. Read the articles "The Art and Craft of Teaching Science" and "Fundamentals of Creativity" that were distributed in class. Apply the Close Reading strategy to both articles and develop common understandings linking the two articles. Submit a two page analysis following the format modeled in class. 2. Complete the reading and graphic organizer on the book you choose for the final project. You should use the graphic organizers below and email your work. 3. Based upon your book reading and graphic organizer of your school/classroom, develop two or three SMART goals for your teaching this year. What are your goals and give two or three action steps you will take to Make It Happen. Submit this one page document via email.

Quote "It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the ones most responsive to change." -Charles Darwin

"Habits rule the unreflecting herd." - Wordsworth

Tony Danza: 'What does it take to really engage them, then?'

His supervisor: 'Two words. Active participation. Look what happened when you got them involved in that scavenger hunt for Of Mice and Men. When they're making it happen, they're learning. When all that's happening is you talking, chances are much lower that they're learning. They tune out and look for their BlackBerries....'

Course Materials Texts __ Our Iceberg is Melting __ by John Kotter __Squawk__ by Travis Bradberry __Who Moved My Cheese__ by Spencer Johnson __A Sense of Urgency__ by John Kotter

Websites

http://www.theatlantic.com/video/index/396527/case-32-hour-workweek/ drop in the long hardwood journey article from NY times

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[|Gladwell] [|ASCD] [|Change and Leadership]