Episode 9 "The Innovator's Mindset" Chapter 3

EDUCATING JO

Episode 8

The Innovator's Mindset

"The Innovator's Mindset"

I'm really enjoying doing the book study and am excited to see more people answer the prompts! But I'm most excited to carry on the conversations about the topics in the comments! Let me know if anything I say resonates with you or if you have anything to add!

9. The Innovator’s Mindset 3

Hey Jo, this week I’m going to talk to you about chapter three of The Innovator’s Mindset by George Couros!

Intro

We are one week into the book study and it has been so much fun. I think Mr. Badura did a great job with the prompts, and I really enjoy the conversations going on in the comments. Today, I want to highlight the 8 characteristics of the innovator’s Mindset. Hopefully I will be able to show how I and my students embrace these concepts.

Writing at the top: The belief that abilities, intelligence and talents are developed leading to the creation of better ideas.

Smart is not something you are…Smart is something you get! ~Stephanie Harvey

It’s easy to justify doing poorly by saying that others are just smarter or better than you. But with hard work, anyone can be successful.

1. Empathy

1. Me: Watching dadsined podcast, they always ask their guests how being a dad has changed them as an educator. That got me thinking how I’ve grown as a teacher since Briggs was born. The biggest way is it has helped me be more empathetic with my students. I now am more understanding when students have more important things going on in their life than school. How can I tap into those important things?
2. Students: Understand and respect people who think differently than you. That’s a super important life-long skill they will need that is NOT modeled very well by our society.

2. Problem Finders/Solvers

1. Students: For most labs, I’ll show them how to do the control group, and each set of students has to find a way to make it go better with their experimental groups.

1. Photosynthesis: more light, type of light, amount of light, number of leaves, type of leaves, amount of CO2, amount of water, temperature…
1. Me: Reflect on a lesson, but do more than reflect. Make actual changes to solve the issues.
1. Risk Takers:
1. An educator with an innovative mindset will find the balance between drawing on experience while maintaining a willingness to try something new.
2. Just like most things in life either extreme can be problematic. Balance between structure and adventure.
2. Networked:
1. So important to develop a PLN on twitter that can encourage, inspire and assist you whenever you need it!
3. Observant:
1. One thing I like to do with my students on social media is show science in everyday things. And I love it when students send me things they find during their normal day that ties into what we are talking about.
4. Creators:
1. I want my students to create things in my class. Students learn a lot more from what they make vs what they see. I model this by making almost all of the materials for my classes.
5. Resilient:
1. The first 3 years of trying to have my students blog didn’t work well, but I kept trying.
2. The first time I tried to get scientists to skype with my students no one responded, but I kept trying.
3. How do we get students to develop grit in their learning? This is where I struggle. I want my students to enjoy science and because of that, sometimes I over help instead of letting students work their way through difficult concepts.
6. Reflective:
1. That’s the main reason I started this vlog, was to reflect on my teaching!

Outro: I hope you enjoyed this week’s episode and feel free to share, like, comment and subscribe! To all the other Educating Joes out there, have a great week!

Episode 8 "The Innovator's Mindset" Chapter 2

EDUCATING JO

Episode 8

The Innovator's Mindset

"The Innovator's Mindset"

I hope you are enjoying my review of The Innovator's Mindset so far! I'm excited to start the seesaw activities with the other teacher's doing the book study, but if you've read the book, or something I say gets you thinking, please continue the conversation in the comments!!

8. The Innovator’s Mindset 2

Hey Jo, this week I’m going to talk to you about chapter two of The Innovator’s Mindset by George Couros!

Intro

I hope you are liking the book review so far. I had a lot of fun making the last episode and the book should take us all the way through the summer, which makes it easy for me! We still haven’t started the official book study yet, but I am excited to get started on Seesaw this week! I have 2 quotes from chapter 2 and the I will go through the “5 critical questions for the innovative Educator.”

1. Quote number 1: The world only cares about...what you can do with what you know (and it doesn’t care how you learned it).
1. Struggle with using innovative strategies with my students, know most science professors won’t use them.
1. Am I setting my students up for future failure? Will they become so dependent on the activities from my class, they can’t learn from an old school lecture style?
2. Focus on skills outside of science curriculum.
3. Help students learn how they learn best, will help them in the future no matter how bad their professors are.
2. Kayla Delzer quote: (@topdogteacher) Teachers can never base what happens in our classroom this year on what next year’s teacher may or may not do. If it’s best practice for our kids, do it now.
3. 
   If it helps my students learn this year, then do it! If it is best for student learning now, then it is best… period.
2. Quote number 2: When I first started teaching, I remember thinking that students should learn the way I taught; they should adjust to me.
1. Exactly what I thought my first year teaching.
2. If a lesson fails, for any reason, as the adult, I’m responsible.
1. 
   I taught a horrible lesson over nutrient cycles right after prom. Students were STRUGGLING to stay awake. I knew they would be tired and I planned a lame lesson anyway. That’s on me, not my students.
3. 5 critical questions for the innovative Educator
1. Would I want to be a learner in my own classroom?
1. If I weren’t passionate about this subject...
2. What is best for this student?
1. Conceptual Biology: students who struggle in science. What is the best way for these students to learn the content? It’s probably best for the other classes as well.
3. What is this student’s passion?
1. Adaptations → do their favorite animal= super ideas.
4. What are some ways we can create a true learning community?
1. Peer teaching
5. How did this work for our students?
1. Weekly feedback.

Outro: I hope you enjoyed this week’s episode and feel free to share, like, comment and subscribe! To all the other Educating Joes out there, have a great week!