Leaning Forward on Innovation Through A Statement of Promise at Walker School, Atlanta
November 12, 2012As we have noted over the past nine weeks, some organizations innovate because they want to and some because they have to. Head Jack Hall of the Walker School in Marietta, just north of Atlanta, gave me some history of their planning process. “In the 1980’s and 1990’s, Walker had become a highly selective school,…
School of the Future Emerging Today at Mt. Vernon Presbyterian, Atlanta
November 11, 2012If you want to fill up 12 sheets on yellow pad with detailed notes and your head with great ideas for how to elevate student engagement, spend three hours at Mt. Vernon Presbyterian in Atlanta. I was warned ahead of time that Head Dr. Brett Jacobsen would direct a fire hose at me, but I…
Hotbed Atlanta; Weekly Video Interview From Unboundary
November 11, 2012I am about to leave Atlanta and turn west on the final leg of my EdJourney, and just wanted to thank all the folks here who have shown such great interest and hospitality. The Atlanta area is a real hotbed of school innovation, and I don’t think it is just serendipity. There are a number…
Design Thinking, Big Dreams, Many Bets Lead Innovation at Lovett School
November 10, 2012Two indicators that a school visit was overwhelming in terms of important lessons to share: 1) in going back over the camera roll I realized I was so busy I forgot to take but a couple of photos; I really apologize, since the Lovett School campus is gorgeous; 2) I almost got tired just reading…
D-Thinking, Student-Teacher Collaboration Highlight Innovation at Woodward Academy
November 9, 2012We all know that turning an aircraft carrier is harder than turning a speedboat, but even large ships do turn, and they do so with someone calling the instructions, and a lot of critical pieces in the mechanics. With 2,700 students, Woodward Academy is one of the largest independent schools in the United States, the…
The Week Ahead in Atlanta
November 6, 2012Just a quick note here to all followers: I have made it to Atlanta, which has been one of my key destinations since I envisioned the journey. There are so many folks here not only thinking about what learning should look like but putting it in practice. Tomorrow we are getting together to do a…
Reflection and Systems Thinking Meet Drum Sets at Christ Church Episcopal, Greeneville
November 3, 2012Many schools like to say that their best teachers are “rock stars”. Well, unless you are Christ Church Episcopal School in Greeneville, I think you need to reset the hyperbole meter. More on that at the end of the post. I saw important focus on student reflection, systems thinking, and student-led project work here, along…
Re-Focus on Mission Heats the Innovation Cauldron at Porter Gaud, Charleston
November 3, 2012History drips from Porter Gaud School like Spanish moss from the trees. Fort Sumter lies just across the salt marsh and a short stretch of the harbor. An old cannon from the Civil War era Federal armory sits on a pedestal. A visitor hears the story of how Dr. Porter, a Confederate, saved the life…
Visual: Three Axes of Mission From Albermarle County Public Schools
November 1, 2012A week or so ago I posted on my visit with Pam Moran and the senior admin team of Albermarle County Public Schools. I mentioned a very clear figure they showed me that they use to articulate the “sweet spot” we are aiming for when we use the (dreaded) term 21C skills. With thanks, their…
Core Values, “What We Are Not” Lead Dynamic Learning at Charlotte Latin School
November 1, 2012I had less than three hours to visit Charlotte Latin School, not enough time to tour the beautiful campus and take great photos, poke into classrooms, or talk to students. That’s OK; sometimes we learn best by just sitting and listening, and the stream of educators that was fired at me in the Head’s conference…
Faculty Encouraged to “Dream Big” at Providence Day School, Charlotte
October 31, 2012Here is a sign of the times: in a meeting with about 14 senior administrators yesterday, the ink in my pen ran out. (I can still write faster on a yellow pad than I can type.) I asked for someone to lend me a pen. One person, Paul Ibsen, the business officer had one. No…
Important Discussion of Tradition vs Change Engaged at Durham Academy
October 31, 2012When I planned this journey I envisioned visiting schools with a range of attitudes and ideas about educational innovation. Not all schools believe that change is needed in order to enhance their value proposition, at least in the short term. That is not bad; markets, demographics, and local attitudes regarding both public and private education…
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