Master the Age of Complexity through innovative growth. From COVID-19 to global environmental and economic concerns, how can schools adapt learning environments to foster innovative thinking when the Age of Complexity is always at the forefront? The authors explore this and more by reimagining learning cultures that bring out the innovative seeds of brilliance in every student. Built on the philosophy that the prosperity of any organization is directly proportional to how it values its people, this book provides: A new way to define brilliance, and 10 specific ways you can shift your organization to prepare your school and community for our Age of Complexity Detailed case studies from schools excelling in the Age of Complexity Links to videos showcasing real-world students and educators in action Key takeaways highlighting each chapter’s critical content Reflective questions to facilitate application of ideas Actionable strategies to use in classrooms and school communities
Master the Age of Complexity through innovative growth. From COVID-19 to global environmental and economic concerns, how can schools adapt learning environments to foster innovative thinking when the Age of Complexity is always at the forefront? The authors explore this and more by reimagining learning cultures that bring out the innovative seeds of brilliance in every student. Built on the philosophy that the prosperity of any organization is directly proportional to how it values its people, this book provides: A new way to define brilliance, and 10 specific ways you can shift your organization to prepare your school and community for our Age of Complexity Detailed case studies from schools excelling in the Age of Complexity Links to videos showcasing real-world students and educators in action Key takeaways highlighting each chapter's critical content Reflective questions to facilitate application of ideas Actionable strategies to use in classrooms and school communities
21st-century educators face a new frontier beyond the boundaries of traditional teaching practice and pedagogical praxis. Imagination Creativity Education (ICE) creates fresh opportunities for teachers who are committed to genuine, empowering, experiential learning. In Crushing ICE: Short-on-Theoretical, Long-on-Practical Approaches to Imagination Creativity Education, teachers will discover how to: • take risks and transition with confidence from conventional to imaginative and creative approaches • promote collaborative learning • enrich the efficacy, esteem, and identity of learners • implement learning-centred strategies, activities, and practices informed by diverse theoretical perspectives • advance meaningful inquiry and relational learning that engages learners at a deep level Every day, teachers—confronted with student exceptionalities, multi-age groupings, overemphasis on provincial standardized testing, and intransigent administrative practices and directives—struggle to promote curiosity, imagination, creativity, innovation, creative process, and risk-taking in their classrooms. ICE teaches a practical, alternative approach that recognizes the importance of these constructs within the self as teacher, the other as learner, and all together in a community of learnership. An exposition of ICE, Crushing ICE shows educators how to challenge the status quo enroute to fostering innovative learning in regular courses, visual-arts, performing arts, and educational transitions. This book is an instructional resource text focused on pre-service and in-service teachers for creativity-based education. Crushing ICE is a unique compilation of scholarly yet practical writings by nationally and internationally recognized teachers and teacher educators who present a predominantly pan-Canadian perspective. It can equally serve as a supplementary text or core text in university courses.
Learn the four conditions most effective for fostering creativity Sometimes our attempts to foster creativity can actually stifle it. Author Peter Gamwell, a former teacher and superintendent who has spent more than three decades studying creativity, shares a fresh perspective on how to nurture creativity, innovation, leadership, and engagement in a variety of settings. You’ll learn how to: Tap the creative and leadership potential in everyone Think bigger by moving from a deficit model of thinking to a strength-based approach Develop the lost arts of listening and storytelling to optimize learning Handle the inevitable pushback and fear that transformational change can bring "I love this book. I am a huge fan of storytelling, and this book is one great story blended with cutting-edge academic work in the field of human mind and creativity. In The Wonder Wall Peter Gamwell and Jane Daly bring together decades of firsthand experience in creativity, leadership and learning into this volume that I indeed will, as the authors suggest, read twice. I would urge you to do the same if you want to be in the frontline of finding ways to improve your schools." —Pasi Sahlberg, Author Finnish Lessons 2.0: What Can the World Learn from Educational Change in Finland, Helsinki, Finland "Take everything you know about learning and turn it upside down. It is there that you will find Peter Gamwell, Jane Daly and their Wonder Wall of creativity wallowing in wisdom. Yes, we have three imperatives, and four conditions, and therein you will find a treasure trove of ideas for creativity. You don’t have to leave the school system to upend it. Just read Wonder Wall and you will be swept along into doing things that engage all students and teachers. You will even get ideas about how to evaluate creativity. The timing is perfect. Go beyond skills and knowledge, light the sparks that lead to learning. Be excited about the limitless possibilities of education." —Michael Fullan, Professor Emeritus OISE, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada "Be brilliant at what you′re best at. Build on your strengths. Belong to something. These are the three imperatives that this great book sets out for young people and those who teach them. It does so with wit, wisdom, up-close experience and a magnificent capacity to tell a good tale of why all people in schools really matter. This book is its own Wonder Wall. When you′ve closed your Ken Robinson book, open this next. You′ll not be disappointed." —Andy Hargreaves, Brennan Chair in Education Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA
“By deconstructing learning science and making the connection to technology, Hess and Saxberg have outlined key strategies for school leaders as they work to transform traditional practices in schools. Whether it is whole-school reform or targeted interventions, principals will be motivated to rethink or‘re-engineer’ the use of technology to optimize teaching and learning.” —Gail Connelly, Executive Director National Association of Elementary School Principals.
Actions to increase effectiveness of schools in a rapidly changing world Schools, in order to be nimble and stay relevant and impactful, need to abandon the rigid structures designed for less dynamic times. The NEW School Rules expands cutting-edge organizational design and modern management techniques into an operating system for empowering schools with the same agility and responsiveness so vital in the business world. 6 simple rules create a unified vision of responsiveness among educators Real life case studies illustrate responsive techniques implemented in a variety of educational demographics 15 experiments guide school and district leaders toward increased responsiveness in their faculty and staff
The step-by-step guide to defining your vision—and making it reality As a leader, it’s your job to look beyond the present and envision a brighter future for your school. Choosing the right path, however, can be a challenge. This inspirational resource is your guide. By following its one-of-a-kind iterative visioning process, you’ll sharpen your vision into a road map for transformative change—tailored to the needs of your learning community. Features include: Key strategies and tools for building a shared vision Practical implementation ideas Case studies from exemplary schools Common trends at the heart of impactful, positive change Thought-provoking vignettes Turn vision into reality, possibilities into plans, and create an environment that strengthens engagement, provides safe and nurturing learning opportunities, and produces students with the skills, knowledge, and disposition to be successful in life.
Improve Schools and Transform Education In order for educational systems to change, we must reevaluate deep-seated beliefs about learning, teaching, schooling, and race that perpetuate inequitable opportunities and outcomes. Hatch, Corson, and Gerth van den Berg challenge the narrative when it comes to the "grammar of schooling"--or the conventional structures, practices, and beliefs that define educational experiences for so many children—to cast a new vision of what school could be. The book addresses current systemic problems and solutions as it: Highlights global examples of successful school change Describes strategies that improve educational opportunities and performance Explores promising approaches in developing new learning opportunities Outlines conditions for supporting wide-scale educational improvement This provocative book approaches education reform by highlighting what works, while also demonstrating what can be accomplished if we redefine conventional schools. We can make the schools we have more efficient, more effective, and more equitable, all while creating powerful opportunities to support all aspects of students’ development. "You won’t find a better book on system change in education than this one. We learn why schools don’t change; how they can improve; what it takes to change a system; and, in the final analysis, the possibilities of system change. Above all, The Education We Need renders complexity into clarity as the writing is so clear and compelling. A powerful read on a topic of utmost importance." ~Michael Fullan, Professor Emeritus, OISE/Universtiy of Toronto "I cannot recommend this book highly enough – Tom tackles long-standing and emerging educational issues in new ways with an impressive understanding of the challenging complexities, but also feasible possibilities, for ensuring excellence and equity for all students." ~Carol Campbell, Associate Professor, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto
Vesper is a scientific-minded young woman living in the kingdom of Malland. When she finds a detached talking penis in the woods, her sheltered life with its wistful fantasies of change explodes into chaos as the penis chases her home, wrecks her sister's engagement party, and causes a scandal so costly that it results in Vesper's forced engagement to a wart-faced widower who agrees to pay her family's debt. Vesper flees her engagement, hoping for a reward when she returns the penis to his owner-the royal prince, no less. But she discovers that the penis isn't the only talking body part flying around the kingdom. People everywhere are falling victim to a magical disease that causes body parts to fall off and animate, and Vesper finds herself fighting an evil plot to create an army of body parts and a society of denial and control, one that deals with all problems by severing them. Uplifting, humorous, and full of wisdom, Dysmorphic Kingdom is high fantasy with a philosophical bouquet, raising questions about conquering both our insecurities with ourselves and our differences with others, all in a polarity-ridden world. "Edgy, original. It's inventive, funny, and sly. The characters come alive, and you can't help but lose yourself in this world. Great writing makes you think of the world in a different way-and Chen does exactly that." Ori Brafman, New York Times Bestselling Author of The Chaos Imperative and Sway "Warning: addictive. Side effects may include e-stalking Colleen Chen to locate more of her writing, sitting on a sunlit patio for several hours to devour a book that's outside of the genres you normally read or compulsively visiting a surprising world in which none of the tedious old rules apply." Soma Mei Sheng Frazier, author of Collateral Damage: A Triptych
Sternberg presents a theory of thinking styles that aims to explain why aptitude tests, school grades, and classroom performance often fail to identify real ability.
