Yesterday was fun. I was asked to be one of the presenters at the TIE/ISTE Leadership Bootcamp. More importantly I was also allowed to be one of the learners.
During the facilitated round table discussions we had a process activity that I participated in as a learner.
It was a 4 step writing process. Which I think is really important. One of the downfalls of ISTE is that there is so much experiencing and so little time to reflect. Most deep reflection happens after folks go home. Even now as I write this I am feeling like I am missing out on the action and learning over at the Conference Center. Tweet Deck is exploding with #iste10 updates and I keep looking up and wondering should I be writing this or head over to the conference center?
Anyway, they split the process piece into Big Ideas (most surprising or troubling thing you saw-experienced-heard), Questions Raised, Specific Insights, Implications for Action. The idea was to write and then share your thinking with folks at your table. So as I was writing I realized that if I really wanted to be a learner I needed to make my responses very personal to my own learning and if I did that I would probably be at a different place than many of the administrators at my table. I know it sounds selfish, but you have to remember most of my day –everyday– is spent helping others learn and shift. So I gave up on the table and went out in the lobby and had some very interesting conversations with other folks who were also workshop presenters.
Here are my Big ideas (concerns) and the Questions they raised. I would love to get your response to some of these ideas below. Please be my table and help me process some of this thinking.
BIG IDEAS- Descriptive statements of my concerns
- The keynoter didn’t give attribution for any of the ideas or key phrases he used that I recognized as belonging to my colleagues.
- The role of original thought and remix content in a keynote.
- Forty minutes is too short for a presentation with content and process- process pieces were simply too rushed. Reflection takes time.
- 21st Century PD needs to be customized to the learner. It needs to mirror how we network online. Folks need to be able to connect based on passion. PD providers need to facilitate connections.
- Collaborative idea building activities ALWAYS need a shared construction space so we can grow from each others thoughts.
Questions Raised from the Big IDEAS
- Do I always give attribution (do you)? How does the 21st Century learner track what he/she works into their schema in order to give credit? How anal do we need to be? In a world of open content and remixing is attribution a 20th C construct?
- What is the balance between original thought/ideas and remixing of other’s work when giving a Keynote? Is it different for a workshop? A full day workshop? Is the compelling case for change being over done in keynotes? Do we still need to hear that message because it is still new to many? Do we need to hear it at ISTE– does the venue matter?
- In an effort to not just lecture- do attendees feel taken advantage of if more time in a presentation is given to construction of knowledge through processing, conversation, brainstorming, ect rather than content sharing by presenter if they didn’t know ahead of time this would be the case? What if the people at your table are at a lower level than you developmentally?
- What is the right amount of time to give participants to process? For example in one session where I was a learner right about the time we had gotten the ice broken and deep thought was starting to flow the presenter would snatch us back to his presentation. Which is normal if you only have 50 min.. I mean 5 for intro and cred building, 10 to set up converation. 10 -15 for debriefing of each process piece. So by nature it is rushed right? Or is the problem that we are organizing our breakouts like we do class bells? I really identif ied with how our students must feel.
Blog Based Round Table Conversation
So if you are willing– I would love to enter a conversation with you around these ideas. Please share in comment and I will respond back to your ideas just like a round table discussion.
Sheryl,
While I wasn’t there in person(nor did I hear the keynote), my initial response to your post is about keynotes and whether the message of change is being overdone.
I think it is really hard for those of us immersed in the changes to be objective observers of what the audience is getting out of the message.
I think the message of change can still be very motivating, even to those really working hard already in the arena of change, especially if the insights are fresh or the speaker is very good.
But I do think audience/location matters. And I think delivery matters.
I know at some campuses teachers are tired of hearing that message and are ready to “get on with it” or are tired of hearing they don’t “get it.”
But at other campuses, that message still hasn’t been received. And I presume people attending the leadership bootcamp are there to learn more about leadership and change, yes?
So I think it really depends on the venue, as you mentioned. And while speakers need to speak from the heart of what is important to them, I think considering the venue and audience and possible experience is also an important choice for a speaker to make.
To be honest, in the audience, I think there’s the risk of cynicism or elitism as well. I hear it dog teachers at my own campus with presenters at times, and I hear it in twitter conversations at conferences. If we are open to learning, how does disdain fit into that? What’s the difference between disdain and constructive criticism or an openness to a different point of view? And even if some of us are quite familiar with the message, and have heard it delivered both worse and better, how do we hold out respect for the audience members who may be hearing it for the first time? Yet even doing so, how do we evaluate or push our own thinking?
I was wondering who the audience for the Leadership Bootcamp was? I couldn’t really get a sense of that following from afar?
My two cents worth. I think your idea to carry the round table conversation online is important and creative.
On a much smaller scale we have the same sort of issues. How much do you lead, how much do you push? Some people are self starters and for those people you only need to throw a link or question their way and they’re off.
Others need scaffolding before they get started. Others need assistance to even get off the starting blocks.
I think also that we are all a bit like that according to the task and motivation and it may well change according to emotions at the time.
I want to try an unconference with our team but have never physically been in a small scale one like we would need here.
It may go swimmingly all fall flat but I think it’s worth a go to try to meet the needs of a larger group of people all at different levels.