Develop Great Ideas Without Getting Stuck on “One Right Answer”

Refl ection Question

What do you do when a promising idea emerges? How do you collabo- rate with others to develop it further?

The power of the process of developing vision statements is that it brings to life the possibilities for our students and ourselves. Figure 3.6 pre- sents a protocol for developing ideas that allows teams to thoughtfully consider them and work toward their implementation.

Dreaming aloud can become an organizational habit, especially when leaders provide the necessary resources to “green-light” promising practices. A powerful example of this happened on a one-day consulting project at a regional Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) in upstate New York. The folks in attendance (approximately half a dozen leaders) were worried about the future longevity of robust library programs given fiscal realities and limited administrative support.

The “problem” quickly became clear: because of limited resources the impact of the library-classroom was being signifi cantly curtailed, which, in turn, made it diffi cult to reinstate funding because of the limited impact (and so the downward spiral). I asked the participants to stop trying to defend the program and instead to defi ne it. What would the “ideal” library program look like? How would it function? The state- ment in Figure 3.7 was crafted during a one-hour brainstorm and a three-hour intensive writing session.

Figure 3.6 Protocol for Developing Ideas

1. Participants craft a preliminary idea that they fi nd personally compelling and in service to the work of a 21st century school (this can be done in the opening 10 minutes of the meeting or in advance of the meeting).

2. A participant explains the idea without being interrupted.

3. The other participants then pose clarifying questions to better understand the nature and scope of the idea. The person who introduced the idea responds to the questions to clarify and develop the idea both for the proposer and for the group. Note: During this time, there is to be no discussion of management/ implementation concerns or past failures.

4. The idea is summarized by the recorder.

5. The process is continued around the room until all ideas have been discussed. 6. After the meeting, participants read the record produced of the ideas and rank

the ideas on a scale of 1 to 5 based on how personally compelling they fi nd the idea and the extent to which it will further the work of the school.

7. The top-ranked ideas become the focus for the next development meeting. The result of this work is a clear picture of what a quality library pro- gram could look like and a revitalized approach about how to achieve it. Each descriptor becomes an opportunity to develop into more good ideas—the creation of extracurricular programs, online information spaces, mobile furniture groupings, etc.—in order to realize the vision. The participants still had the same problems to face, but much more clarity about the short-term actions and long-term planning needed to effect real change.

Figure 3.7 The Mission of the 21st Century Library

The 21st century library is a learning hub—a shared learning space where learners come together in their pursuit of knowledge and understanding of themselves and their world. Their work in an information-rich environment requires curiosity, pas- sion, tolerance, and persistence in order to navigate, organize, and make sense of information so that learners can create knowledge that is of signifi cance.

A “library” includes those physical and virtual spaces (including library classrooms, video-conferencing/production space, computer labs, outdoor courtyards, website, portals) that are designed by the school to promote information literacy and technol- ogy as well as appreciation of aesthetics.

Evidence that a learning hub exists includes (but is not limited to) the following characteristics:

1. The walls of the space

a. Evidence of student learning on tasks designed by the classroom staff as well as independent journeys crafted by the students

b. Clearly state the expectations and curricular goals (AASL, NSTE) for the shared space so that learning is possible for everyone within it and people operate in an ethical, responsible manner

c. Color of and text on the walls are conducive to learning—calming, inviting, thoughtful effect on the learner

2. The organization of the furniture, equipment, and technology a. Comfortable chairs that invite learners to stay and read

b. Different organizational setups to promote different types of learning: collaborative space for dialogue and problem solving; solitary space for intense study, refl ection, reading; conference space for mini- lessons, meetings, and forum; class space for when a whole class is working together on a given task

c. Tools that are designed for learners to use to facilitate their shared thinking and knowledge construction—laptop/LCD to project their thinking; fl ip charts/markers, Post-it notes, and scrap paper; access to copier machine; access to wikis, blogs, shared electronic resources; ability to transport their work to and from school (portable media devices, email accounts for students, remote access to work from home); access to computers (lab, mobile laptops)

3. The organization of exhibits

a. Connections organized around themes and topics currently being explored in curricular and co-curricular areas

b. Exhibits (virtual or in the library space) that are highly responsive to what is going on in the world today (both in the school and literally in the world)

c. Exhibits designed around student interests, preferences, talents

Figure 3.7 The Mission of the 21st Century Library (continued )

4. The access to tools, resources, materials

a. Signage that clearly demarks sections of the space so that it sponsors independent navigation (this applies to the library website as well) b. Prominent display/access to established procedures for: navigating

non-fi ction text, computer searches, research process (Big 6), citing sources, asking questions, ethical and responsible use of information c. Consistent review of access policies to ensure that students are suf- fi ciently trained in the use of current electronic resources that are prevalent in post-secondary life (education, workplace, and social interactions)

d. Consistent formal and informal learning opportunities to independently navigate electronic resources and data manipulation tools (both new ones and more established ones)

5. The communication of learning

a. Ability for students to communicate with one another directly either through the exchange of ideas and information in dialogue or through the posting of learning (creation of wikis, blogs, book reviews, podcasting) b. Opportunities to showcase student learning through formal and infor-

mal demonstrations/performances c. The policies

d. Clear policy for acceptable use of technology that is enforced and tended to by all users of the space

e. Restricted access to sites is based on a constant balance of the abil- ity of learners to navigate space pursuing their curiosities/exploration with the responsibility to block them from places they should not be f. Circulation policy (both how many and also access to sources not cur-

rently available on site) encourages every learner to check out those materials they want to explore

g. Implementation of cyber-safety curricula to protect students from bul- lying, scams, harassment, identity theft

Source: School Library System E2CC BOCES. Reprinted by permission.

One of the most depressing things about staff meetings is how quickly people can destroy a new idea. Oftentimes, a new proposal is swiftly crushed by a litany of reasons why it cannot and should not be done. This inability to develop an idea stems from the compulsion to fi gure out how to implement it in the existing system before allowing people the necessary time to cultivate it into a compelling vision. So many good ideas are tentatively shared and then dropped (or obliter- ated) out of fear that they are not possible, worthy, or popular. Many of

the educators I meet lack not imagination but faith in their schools and in one another to give those ideas a real chance. But dreaming aloud can become an organizational habit, especially when leaders provide the necessary resources to “green-light” promising practices.

The largest obstacle to this process can be the shackles we place on our own thinking. If every new idea is instantly deemed “impossible” because we don’t have the funds, policies in place, parental support, technology, training, or time, attempting to verbalize and elucidate our vision for our organization will produce frustration rather than clarity or optimism. But if, using whatever protocols are necessary, educators sit and imagine together for a while, not only will fresh thinking likely emerge but energy levels will rise. Imaging what you could accomplish!