Jul 23
Canada has one of the best education systems in the world. This is especially true when you consider that the majority of students are educated in public schools, the vast diversity within our classrooms and the highly inclusive environment we continually cultivate. Most countries marvel at the results we consistently get year in and year …
Jan 08
Below is a great visual provided by Dr. Amy Edmondson that links psychological safety to performance standards. In the visual, she identifies four zones that people within organizations reside based on the relationship between psychological safety and performance. Great leaders understand the importance of psychological safety in the workplace. There is no doubt that it …
Mar 25
Let’s innovate! We need an education system that provides us with students who are innovative and creative. To be successful in the future, students need to be adaptable and flexible. They need to be great communicators, collaborators and let’s throw in that they can get along with everybody they meet! That is exactly what our …
Sep 20
I just read the report on Innovation from the Conference Board of Canada which ranks Alberta as 15th overall. Given that Alberta is one of the top educational jurisdictions in the world, the stat is a little disconcerting. Innovation is defined by The Conference Board, “As a process through which economic or social value is …
Jan 04
I’ve spoken about failure before and how we are instilling an almost risk aversive society of students because failing or anything that resembles adversity is being squashed because of self-esteem! Nothing could be farther from the truth! Let’s be frank, “Failure as a permanent condition is unacceptable but failure as part of the learning cycle and developmental …
Oct 26
This past weekend, I attended the Innovate West Conference hosted by Connect Charter School in Calgary. It is a conference I’ve wanted to attend in the past because of the positive reviews it has received from previous participants from our division and elsewhere. Attending with me was my Deputy Superintendent, Brian Macauley (@macauleyb) and Director …
Jan 26
“The road to comfort is crowded and it rarely gets you there. Ironically, it’s those who seek out discomfort that are able to make a difference and find their footing. Discomfort brings engagement and change. Discomfort means you’re doing something that others are unlikely to do because they’re busy hiding out in the comfortable zone.” …
Oct 20
Last week our school division had the pleasure bringing in George Couros @gcouros as our keynote for our annual division wide professional development day. Now before you write off the experience because it appears to be another sit and get event, let me explain that George was our keynote and provided a number of breakout sessions as …
Mar 10
On Thursday, the provincial government released the budget for 2013-14. As part of the education budget, one of the most successful grants to instill innovation for learning, the Alberta Initiative for School Improvement (AISI) was eliminated. It would be easy to simply blame the government in making that decision, but not necessarily fair. While I’m …
Feb 13
Education is full of acronyms and AISI is another. So what does it stand for- Alberta Initiative for School Improvement. AISI has been in existence since 1999 and has provided substantial funding to school divisions across the province with a goal of encouraging and promoting creativity and innovation in Alberta schools. Projects are three years …