Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Unlearning the Rules of School..... it RULES!!!!

Greetings!

I was going through some archived articles I have, and found the following.  Based on what I'm seeing in my university classroom(s) it is so "right on".  I'm hopeful that reading this will give you pause to think, and even better....  do, something different.  Regardless of the "type of classroom" you teach in (parents, aunts/uncles, friends, etc.).

Happy Holidays!!!

jeff
------------------------------------

Unlearning the Rules of School
By Charles "Chic" Thompson
 
“We entered school as question marks, but graduated as periods.”
                                                            —Dr. John Holt, educator

We all started out creative. Remember the sand box, with your bare toes and your plastic bucket?

Ask children in kindergarten if they like to sing, dance, or draw. All hands go up. Ask a group of adults and only about 15 percent of the hands go up. Then someone will ask, “What kind of dancing?” or “Can I have two beers first?”
 
What happened in the years between kindergarten and adulthood?

Most of us started school with a full box of 64 brightly colored crayons. The really lucky ones had the tin box of 128 colors with a sharpener on the side. But if we lived in a world of purple tree trunks and orange skies for too long, we probably began to hide our creativity.
 
Why? Because every year more of the colors and colorful wall hangings were taken out of the classroom. We graduated with two colors—black or blue inside a disposable Bic pen. We hated the color red because when we saw it in writing, it meant we were wrong.

George Ainsworth Land, author of Grow or Die, gave five-year-olds a creativity test used by NASA to select innovative engineers. Ninety-eight percent of the children scored in the highly creative range. When these same children were retested at 10 years old, only 30 percent were still rated as highly creative. By age 15, just 12 percent of them were ranked as highly creative.

What about the average adult population? Only 2 percent of the adults who took the NASA tests were rated as highly creative.
 
Therefore, our lifetime creativity, measured in terms of our ability to generate a number of new ideas, is at its highest point at five years old and lowest around 44 years old. Our creativity bottoms out right when our decision-making skills are being tested on a daily basis.

It seems that creativity is not just learned, but unlearned as we advance through life. Your creativity does, however, start to rebound upon retirement. So how do you look at your challenges with fresh, creative eyes and unlearn those nagging, ingrained, judgmental rules from elementary school?

Ask the right questions
OK, we know that we all need to be more creative. We think that means devising new, creative solutions for the challenges we face. However, according to Jonas Salk, the doctor who developed the polio vaccine, “The answer to any problem preexists. We need to ask the right question to reveal that answer.”

What an important insight. We don’t find, create, or invent creative solutions; we reveal them by asking great questions. Therefore, our creative charge is to ask more questions that will uncover second and third right answers.

Some favorite questions to ask include
•  What analogy can I find to this problem that will demonstrate a fresh level of thinking or performance? Think NASCAR pit crews helping hospital emergency rooms with triage strategies.
•  How can I turn my product or service into an experience that will attract attention and loyal customers? Think Geek Squad for home or office computer repair.
•  What is the exact opposite of what everyone else is doing to meet or exceed customer needs? Within the list of opposite ideas I usually find my great big new idea. Think Tempur-pedic mattresses. They are never on sale, they market through infomercials, and their name doesn’t start with an “S” like all of their competitors.
•  What is unique about this challenge that I have never seen before? This question allows your mind to see new solutions rather than immediately apply what has worked in the past.
•  When something goes wrong, I always ask “What went right?” We learn through trial and error, not trial and rightness. So when you see failure, look for the ideas or lessons that are inside.

These new questions can help reveal the answers you have been looking for. Simply put, in the mind-set of innovation, the question is the answer. It’s the answer to entering a world of new ideas and breakthrough solutions.

Forget the obsolete answers
Your creative success is determined by what you know and by what obstacles to creative thinking you can forget. “Unlearning” those school rules we grew up with may be the quickest way to a breakthrough idea.

Some rules of school that need to be unlearned include
• There is only one right answer.
•  The teacher is always right.
•  The right answer is in the back of the teacher’s edition.
•  Don’t pass notes.
•  The answer is not on the ceiling.

Based on these rules, many of us around third grade dreamed of magically finding a copy of the teacher’s edition so that we would have all the right answers. These rules worked well in the industrial age when companies mined the land for their assets, but they are out of date.

Today, successful organizations find ways to extract ideas. To create an environment for idea harvesting, follow these rules:
•  Look for second and third right answers.
•  Challenge management and look for answers from all levels.
•  Constantly revise policy manuals.
•  Pass notes, collaborate, and appreciate diversity.
•  The answers still aren’t on the ceiling, but if you look with creative eyes, the questions might be.

Find the second right answer
Albert Einstein once was asked the difference between him and the average person. He said that if you asked the average person to find a needle in a haystack, she would stop when she found a needle. He, on the other hand, would tear through the entire haystack looking for all possible needles.

When we are confronted with a problem, we feel strong internal pressure to find a solution. When we are encouraged to find a second solution, the second answer is invariably more creative.

Einstein handed out his final exam to a second-year physics class and one student raised his hand and said, “This is the same exam you gave us last year.” Einstein replied, “You are very observant, but the answers are different this year.”

The challenges facing you on your desk and at home probably do not call for true-or-false answers. Make looking for second and third right answers become part of your job description and your family activities.

Become immortal
Plato said that as humans we all strive for immortality. He showed us three ways to achieve this—by having children, by planting trees, and by creating an idea and making it happen.

Go forth and achieve immortality.
-------
Chic Thompson is a motivational speaker on creative leadership and author of What a Great Idea! and Yes, but…; HTTP://www.whatagreatidea.com.

-------------------------------------------------------


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is Jeff's ShareAndLearn blog.

These are periodic notes from Jeff on items he feels
are worth sharing. Sometimes humorous, sometimes
provacative, and sometimes just fun. Hopefully you'll
find something useful, or at least thought provoking.

We are all LEARNERS, and we can all SHARE. So,
feel free to share this message with others. Also...
don't hestitate to send me items that you think are
worth sharing.

visit the Share and Learn Blog at:
http://jeffsshareandlearn.blogspot.com

Jeff Miller
Innovative Leadership Solutions
jeff@inleadsol.com
http://www.inleadsol.com
---------------------------------------------
 "Gramma said when you come on something good,
first thing to do is share it with whoever you can
find; that way, the good spreads out where no
telling it will go.  Which is right." 
             - Forrest Carter,
               The Education of Little Tree.
_______

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

What's Your Creatvity Style

Greetings....

I've just posted the link to a really good piece by Roger von Oech on figuriing out your
creativity style(s). It can be found here.... http://post.ly/ETYt

Be Well. /jeff

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is Jeff's ShareAndLearn blog.

These are periodic notes from Jeff on items he feels
are worth sharing. Sometimes humorous, sometimes
provacative, and sometimes just fun. Hopefully you'll
find something useful, or at least thought provoking.

We are all LEARNERS, and we can all SHARE. So,
feel free to share this message with others. Also...
don't hestitate to send me items that you think are
worth sharing.

visit the Share and Learn Blog at:
http://jeffsshareandlearn.blogspot.com

Jeff Miller
Innovative Leadership Solutions
jeff@inleadsol.com
http://www.inleadsol.com
---------------------------------------------
"Gramma said when you come on something good,
first thing to do is share it with whoever you can
find; that way, the good spreads out where no
telling it will go. Which is right."
- Forrest Carter,
The Education of Little Tree.
_______

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Servant Leadership Academy

Colleagues

I hope you will share the item below with your network of people. 

Those of you who know me well (or even just a little for a few of you), know what a skeptic I can be.  In this case I do think this set of experiences has the potential to be a pretty profound learning experience for those who participate.  And in this case, I'm saying this with great humility since I am part of the planning/delivery group of the Academy.

By all means, if you have questions I would encourage you to contact the Greenleaf Center or visit the web address that is at the bottom of this announcement.

Be well......   /jeff

------------------------------------


Greenleaf Center Establishes the Greenleaf Academy
 
  The Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership is pleased to announce the establishment of the Greenleaf Academy of Servant Leadership, which will provide a variety of programs during the coming years to help individuals understand and apply the principles of servant leadership in their lives and work.   

  Certificate Program Begins at 2009 Conference   

The first program of the Greenleaf Academy is the Certificate Program. It consists of three courses that will be conducted during the coming year by Greenleaf Academy faculty through teleconferences, e-mail, and webcasts. The first course begins with attendance at the Greenleaf Center's 19th Annual International Conference this June 10- 13 in Milwaukee.   

The three Certificate Program courses are:   

The Foundations of Servant Leadership. This course will be conducted from June through October 2009. Participants must attend a preconference workshop and the Greenleaf Center conference, June 10-13, 2009 in Milwaukee; take a distance-learning course that focuses on the works of Robert Greenleaf and others who have written about servant leadership; and write a paper. The tuition is $1,750, which includes the registration fee for "The Total Package" at the Greenleaf Center's Annual International Conference in June. The cost of travel, hotel, or books is not included.   

Applying the Key Practices of Servant Leadership. This course will be conducted from November 2009 through February 2010. Participants will take a distance-learning course on listening and developing colleagues, and write a paper. Participants must also undertake a hands-on project, and attend a Greenleaf Center retreat. The tuition is $1,750, including the registration fee for a Greenleaf Center retreat. The cost of travel, hotel, or books is not included.   

Leading Servant-Institutions. This course will be conducted from March through June 2010. Participants will take a distance-learning course on the characteristics of servant- institutions and the skills needed to lead a servant institution. Participants will undertake a hands-on project, and present a paper at the Greenleaf Center's Annual International Conference in June 2010 during a workshop that will feature Greenleaf Academy participants. The tuition is $1,750, including the registration fee for "The Total Package" at the Greenleaf Conference in 2010. The cost of travel, hotel, or books is not included.   

Participants who sign up and pay for all three courses in advance will receive a discounted tuition of $4,500 - a savings of $750.   

Certificate of Completion   

Each participant who completes a certificate program will receive a Certificate of Completion. The certificate will be mailed to the participant, or presented to the participant at the Greenleaf Center's annual conference.   

Greenleaf Academy Faculty   

The Greenleaf Academy faculty for the Certificate Program will be Dr. Don Frick (Foundations of Servant Leadership); Dr. Jeff Miller (Applying the Key Practices of Servant-Leaders); and Jerry Glashagel (Leading Servant-Institutions). Servant-leaders from a variety of organizations will serve as adjunct faculty, joining the teleconferences during each course.   

Registration 

To register for the Certificate Program, visit  http://www.greenleaf.org/academy  or call Dolores Jones at +1  317-669-8050 x 27.   

Keep the Spirit!
 
The Staff of the Greenleaf Center
*** Note new Address ***
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jeff Miller, Ph.D.
Innovative Leadership Solutions, Inc.
7863 S. State Road 267
Brownsburg, IN 46112
office: +1 317-733-8635
via Skype: jeffmiller79
http://www.inleadsol.com
------------------------------------------
e-mail:  jeff@inleadsol.com  or                  
miller.3293@osu.edu

 - Vist the "ShareAndLearn" blog at:
http://jeffsshareandlearn.blogspot.com
- See the ShareAndLearn e-archive at:
http://lists.topica.com/lists/shareandlearn/read


"Change happens from the outside in but transformation happens from the inside out.” - Dan Burrus

.
 

Monday, April 6, 2009

Core Work in the "New" Economy

Happy Monday Morning....

I just came across the following item that I think is quite relevant to virtually any organization (especially now!!!).    I've included a brief excerpt below with a link to the complete article.

Have a terrific week.

jeff
----------------------

The Manager's Core Work in the New Economy
Peter Henschel, Executive Director, Institute for Research on Learning

Beyond the Buzzwords

In these crazy, on-the-edge times of accelerating change and unnerving uncertainty, it is not enough to rely on "empowered high-performance work teams" to succeed. Nor do the buzzwords and platitudes around "knowledge management" and "empowerment" give us much insight. What the new realities demand is a deep understanding and belief in the ways people actually and naturally learn and to act based on oneÕs understanding. 

The manager's core work in this new economy is to create and support a work environment that nurtures continuous learning. Was it not ever thus? Even if so, our organizations rarely give this the attention it deserves. Now, more than ever before, it's an imperative, and will be so "for the duration." 

In this brief essay , I shall lay out some of the principles that should serve managers well as they explore their new roles and responsibilities. .......

complete article is at: http://www.fieldbook.com/New_Material/Henschel.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You are on Jeff's ShareAndLearn e-mail list.

These are periodic notes from Jeff on items he feels
are worth sharing. Sometimes humorous, sometimes
provacative, and sometimes just fun. Hopefully you'll
find something useful, or at least thought provoking.

We are all LEARNERS, and we can all SHARE. So,
feel free to share this message with others. Also...
don't hestitate to send me items that you think are
worth sharing.

To have your name removed (or someone added),
simply go to http://www.topica.com/lists/shareandlearn

or visit the Share and Learn Blog at:
http://jeffsshareandlearn.blogspot.com

Jeff Miller
Innovative Leadership Solutions
jeff@inleadsol.com
http://www.inleadsol.com
---------------------------------------------
 "Gramma said when you come on something good,
first thing to do is share it with whoever you can
find; that way, the good spreads out where no
telling it will go.  Which is right." 
             - Forrest Carter,
               The Education of Little Tree.
_______
 

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

(Fwd) KnowledgeWorks Foundation 2020 Forecast: January Update

Happy New Year everyone..... this outfit usually puts out really good info. There are several links in the newsletter that you may find some value in.

Cheers!

jeff miller
indianapolis

------- Forwarded message follows -------
Subject: KnowledgeWorks Foundation 2020 Forecast: January Update
From: "KnowledgeWorks Foundation" <EducationMap@kwfdn.org>

KnowledgeWorks Foundation 2020 Forecast: January Update

Dear Friends -

Happy New Year from KnowledgeWorks Foundation! After describing so many dilemmas facing our society in our last update, we want to make this month's news full of the promise of the New Year. So grab a mug of something warm and enjoy our first update of 2009.

This month's focus is on the ways in which the economy will change over the next ten years. And the news is good. Though we are facing a recession and volatility now, the availability of new design technologies might change all of that. Websites that offer product customization mean that anyone can produce personalized goods. Lightweight fabrication equipment, such as 3-D printers, is available for purchase or rental, and will eventually be cheap enough for home models. Social networks allow artists and tinkerers to share ideas and improve upon ideas.

There are abundant opportunities to reinvent learning and teaching in light of the economy of the future. If our students can create new things easily and give life to their ideas, they can engage in experiential, tangible learning activities that let them play with, experiment on, manipulate, and hold in their hands the products of their labor. Hands-on, authentic learning promises to enable students to make meaning out of previously boring and abstract lessons.

The 2020 Forecast proposes that these new technologies and new ways of approaching learning will give rise to new abilities. Students will naturally engage in more processes of creativity and innovation, deepening essential problem-solving skills. They will leverage their considerable skills in online communication to collaborate on projects with real results, and perhaps discover new interests along the way. They will become creators of knowledge instead of just consumers. They are going to do this whether we teach them to do so or leave them to their generation's devices, but if we take advantage of these opportunities and guide them, today´s students will embody the entrepreneurial spirit that can drive our economy to unprecedented levels of prosperity.

This new economy will not be organized around the assembly lines that served as the model for the factory schools of the 20th century. What kind of school organization can we envision as the appropriate model for the new economy of customized goods made in small shops by networks of artisans?

This past holiday season, many Americans were busy buying gifts for each other, but tomorrow's learners will be able to buy, borrow, or make them. The sneak preview of this new driver of change, the Maker Economy, will be expanded upon on our blog shortly. Stay with us!


KnowledgeWorks Foundation brings you this monthly update on the progress of our work to empower communities to improve education.

KnowledgeWorks Foundation, 1 W. 4th St., Ste. 200, Cincinnati, OH 45202.
Copyright © 2008 KnowledgeWorks Foundation. Empowering Communities
to Improve Education.TM www.kwfdn.org - All Rights Reserved.

------- End of forwarded message -------

Friday, November 14, 2008

21st Century Skills

Happy Friday everyone....    It's been a while since I posted here, but I've just come across a blog post that I think needs to be shared as widely as possible.

The blog  at "Leadership Now" always has terrific content, and this time I find it to be particularly relevant for any of us who have a concern about learning and education (unfortunately, they are two very different things!). 

As a former leader of a statewide youth program, I'm very aware of these differences. This makes it even more important that my former colleagues in the "outside of school" youth programs help others to see what we know so well......  those programs can (and do) play a critical role in the learning, growth, and development of young people.

I've pasted below the entry from today's blog.... their website is: http://www.leadershipnow.com.

Have a wonderful weekend.

jeff

------------------------------------------


Hiring the Right Skill Set and Motivating the Millennials

 http://www.leadershipnow.com/leadingblog/2008/11/hiring_the_right_skill_set_and.html

In raising and schooling our children in the U.S., it appears we have dropped our standards. And it shows. Finding the right people is becoming a more and more difficult proposition. (I enjoyed reading about Linda Zdanowicz's search for a dental assistant  on her blog.) Tony Wagner , author of the The Global Achievement Gap  has written am important book that should not be ignored by business leaders. It sets a meaningful agenda for a good dialogue between educators and business leaders and concerned parents about our educational system. Wagner has written the following for us:


In an economic downturn, employers need to be even more careful with their hiring decisions. And recent graduates from some of the best schools may not have the skills that matter most in the new global knowledge economy. In researching my book, The Global Achievement Gap : Why Even Our Best Schools Don’t Teach The New Survival Skills Our Children Need -- and What We Can Do About It, I have come to understand that there are "7 Survival Skills" for the New World of Work, and that employers must look beyond applicants' "pedigrees" to carefully assess whether they have the skills that matter most.

New Skills
Here are the Seven Survival Skills, as described by some of the people whom I interviewed:

• Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
"The idea that a company's senior leaders have all the answers and can solve problems by themselves has gone completely by the wayside . . . The person who's close to the work has to have strong analytic skills. You have to be rigorous: test your assumptions, don't take things at face value, don't go in with preconceived ideas that you're trying to prove."

—Ellen Kumata, consultant to Fortune 200 companies


• Collaboration Across Networks and Leading by Influence
"The biggest problem we have in the company as a whole is finding people capable of exerting leadership across the board . . . Our mantra is that you lead by influence, rather than authority."

—Mark Chandler, Senior Vice President and General Counsel at Cisco


• Agility and Adaptability
"I've been here four years, and we've done fundamental reorganization every year because of changes in the business . . . I can guarantee the job I hire someone to do will change or may not exist in the future, so this is why adaptability and learning skills are more important than technical skills."

—Clay Parker, President of Chemical Management Division of BOC Edwards


• Initiative and Entrepreneurship
"For our production and crafts staff, the hourly workers, we need self-directed people . . . who can find creative solutions to some very tough, challenging problems."

—Mark Maddox, Human Resources Manager at Unilever Foods North America


• Effective Oral and Written Communication
"The biggest skill people are missing is the ability to communicate: both written and oral presentations. It's a huge problem for us."

—Annmarie Neal, Vice President for Talent Management at Cisco Systems


• Accessing and Analyzing Information
"There is so much information available that it is almost too much, and if people aren't prepared to process the information effectively, it almost freezes them in their steps."

—Mike Summers, Vice President for Global Talent Management at Dell


• Curiosity and Imagination
"Our old idea is that work is defined by employers and that employees have to do whatever the employer wants . . . but actually, you would like him to come up with an interpretation that you like -- he's adding something personal -- a creative element."

—Michael Jung, Senior Consultant at McKinsey and Company


Looking Beyond the Degree

The conventional thinking of many who make hiring decisions is that graduates from "name-brand" colleges are likely to be more intelligent and better prepared than students who have gone to second or third tier schools. But, in reality, what the degree may mean is that these students are better at taking tests and figuring out what the professor wants -- skills that won't get them very far in the workplace today. A senior associate from a major consulting firm told me that recent hires from Ivy League business schools were constantly asking what the right answer was -- in order words, how to get an "A" for the job they were doing -- and were not always very adept at asking the right questions, which was the single most important skill senior executives whom I interviewed identified. So what does this mean for the interview process?


First, listen carefully for the kinds of questions the applicant asks. Are they probing? Insightful? Do they suggest that the applicant has really prepared for the interview by trying to understand your business? Do you feel as though you or your company are being interviewed? If so, that's a very good sign.


How a perspective employee asks these questions matters, as well. Does he or she listen carefully and engage you in discussions? Is the potential new hire both interested and interesting? In addition to the ability to ask good questions, senior execs told me that the ability to "look someone in the eye and engage in a thoughtful discussion" is an essential competency for working with colleagues and understanding customers' needs.


Finally, perhaps the most important question you might ask is, "what do you want to learn or how do you want to grow in this job?" This question is essential for two reasons: First, the quality of the answer will tell you how reflective this individual is -- and how intentional he or she may about his or her own development. More than any specific skill, individuals must want to learn, grow, and improve continuously to be successful in today's workplace.


Motivating the Millennials

The second reason why this question is important goes to the heart of the problem of how to motivate new hires to do their best. In asking the question, "how do you want to grow," you are signaling to a prospective employee that you and your company are committed to developing the talents of your workers. Many employers worry that this generation lacks a work ethic. But in my research, I have discovered that this generation is not unmotivated but rather differently motivated to learn and to work. Above all else, they want opportunities to be challenged and to make a difference.


Describing the different work ethic of this generation, Ellen Kumata, who is managing partner at Cambria Associates and consults to senior executives at Fortune 200 companies, told me, "They don't see coming into a company as being a career experience. They don't want to climb the corporate ladder and make more money and please the boss. And so you can't manage them the same way -- you can't just put them into a cubicle and expect them to perform." Tracy Mitrano, who manages the Office of Information Technologies at Cornell University, agreed: "You have to make the work more interesting and allow them to work in different ways. They are prepared to work just as much and just as hard -- but not at a desk 8 hours a day."


Andrew Bruck was finishing a law degree at Stanford when I interviewed him last year. "We want to feel ownership. We have a craving for an opportunity to do something really important," he told me. "People in my generation have been in a constant state of training. Now they're excited to go do something. The more responsibility you give people, the better they produce . . . There are more and more recent law school grads who are willing to take a lower salary in return for an opportunity for more meaningful work."


Ben McNeely, a journalist, described to me the difference between his former employer and his current one. "At the paper where I worked previously, the publisher would kill stories if they portrayed an advertiser in a negative light. At the paper where I work now, I have an opportunity to contribute something in a growing community. I was brought in to cover the new bio-tech research campus under construction nearby, where the Canon towel factory used to be, and to cover health care issues, as well. I have support from the editor and publisher who both have strong journalistic ethics. I like it that the editor pushes Windham, who us to dig deeper."


Carie Windham, who graduated from college in 2005, told me about the best boss she's ever had. "He asked me where I want to be in 10 years. He talked to me about creating the experience I want to have. He understood I wouldn't be there forever . . . Mentoring is a huge motivational tool, someone showing an interest in you and giving you feedback. We want to feel we have a creative, individual role -- that we're not just working on an assembly line. We want to feel like we have ownership of an idea."


Hiring the right talent, then, is only part of the problem employers face today. Equally important is how businesses create challenges and learning opportunities that motivate the Millennials to do their best. Google, which had more than one million applications for 5,000 jobs in 2006, is the number one pick of a place to work for many of the Millennials. Listening to twenty-two year old Matt Kulick talk about his work, one begins to understand how profoundly many companies will have to change in order to attract and retain the best talent: "First, they (Google) share ideals that I believe in -- open source software. And their products are solving important problems for people -- doing good in the world. I believe in what they're doing -- these values are very important to me. I wanted to help out, to make a contribution. The second reason I came to Google is because they give me the resources I need to accomplish major things that will really make a difference in world. The third reason is the responsibility they give you from the day you start. It is a winning combination. It makes me happy to go to work every day."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You are on Jeff's ShareAndLearn e-mail list.

These are periodic notes from Jeff on items he feels
are worth sharing. Sometimes humorous, sometimes
provacative, and sometimes just fun. Hopefully you'll
find something useful, or at least thought provoking.

We are all LEARNERS, and we can all SHARE. So,
feel free to share this message with others. Also...
don't hestitate to send me items that you think are
worth sharing.

To have your name removed (or someone added),
simply go to http://www.topica.com/lists/shareandlearn

or visit the Share and Learn Blog at:
http://jeffsshareandlearn.blogspot.com

Jeff Miller
Innovative Leadership Solutions
jeff@inleadsol.com
http://www.inleadsol.com
---------------------------------------------
 "Gramma said when you come on something good,
first thing to do is share it with whoever you can
find; that way, the good spreads out where no
telling it will go.  Which is right." 
             - Forrest Carter,
               The Education of Little Tree.
_______
 

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Attitude Problem in Education

Hey folks.....

I think you'll find this most interesting....  the paper is well worth downloading.

jeff

--------------------------


51.05 - The Attitude Problem In Education by Don Berg

Today, October 08, 2008, 5 hours ago | Change ThisClick here  to visit the site.
Click
here  to download the PDF.

"We are losing the potential for entrepreneurial, vocational, and artistic genius in children and teachers around the world because the majority of schools navigate by academics alone. Academic schooling facilitates only a partial liberation of the human spirit. We have liberated some people, in some places, in some ways by making due with the limited academic tools available.

[...]

Parents today have already chosen to launch their children into a world of challenging conditions. The question is whether their suppliers--schools--are providing the right stuff to get the job done."

http://blog.changethis.com/changethis_newsletter/2008/10/5105---the-atti.html

 

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

The Learning Imperative

Hi everyone... some interesting stuff here.....

In keeping with a recurrent theme.... the following have appeared recently either on the net or in the local media here in Indianapolis.
Item 1: "Neil Ahrendt and Brittany Brechbuhl were on track to become typical American college freshmen.
Then they became the subjects of a documentary.
Now the 2007 Carmel High School graduates have taken on roles as poster children for America's inability to compete against China and India ……. Complete story can be found at the Indianapolis Star website
Item 2: " About " the film 2 Million Minutes. (It is what's mentioned in the Indianapolis Star article) Direct link to the website of the film 2 Million Minutes
And in the meantime you can receive FREE audio version of his recent best seller, " The World is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century by clicking here: http://www.thomaslfriedman.com/giveaway
We've got some serious work to do in this country to create a true culture of learning..... and it's going to take far more than the current "traditional" institutions of education can do by themselves. We need an education LEARNING revolution, not evolution.

Monday, June 9, 2008

Turn Learning Upside Down

Hi folks.... catching up on some things, so a few things will hit this blog today.

Cheers!   /jeff

----------------------------

47.02 Turning Learning Right Side Up: Putting Education Back on Track by Russell Ackoff and Daniel Greenberg

Wednesday, June 04, 2008, 3:08:32 PM | Change ThisClick here  to visit the site.
Click
here  to download the PDF.

"Education should be a lifelong enterprise, a process enhanced by an environment that supports to the greatest extent possible the attempt of people to 'find themselves' throughout their lives.

For too long, we have educated people for a world that no longer exists, extinguishing their creativity and instilling values antithetical to those of a free, 21st century democracy. The principal objective of education as currently provided is to ensure the maintenance and preservation of the status quo--to produce members of society who will not want to challenge any fundamental aspects of the way things are. Traditional education focuses on teaching, not learning. It incorrectly assumes that for every ounce of teaching, there is an ounce of learning by those who are taught. Being taught is, to a very large extent, boring and much of its content is seen as irrelevant. It is the teacher, not the student, who learns most in a traditional classroom."

 

Open Source Education

Hi all:

this is worth a few minutes of your time (IMO). Interesting video.


jeff
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Rice University professor Richard Baraniuk has a giant vision: to create a free global online education system that puts the power of creation and collaboration in the hands of teachers worldwide. He's realizing that vision with Connexions , a website that allows teachers to quickly "create, rip, mix and burn" coursework -- without fear of copyright violations. Think of it as Napster for education.

Connexions' open-source system cuts out the textbook, allowing teachers to share course materials, modify existing work and disseminate it to their students -- all for free, thanks to Creative Commons licensing. Baraniuk envisions Connexions as a repository where the most up-to-date material can be shared and reviewed (it's far more efficient than waiting for a textbook to be printed); it could become a powerful force in leveling the education playing field. Currently encompassing hundreds of online courses and used by a million people worldwide, Baraniuk's virtual educational system is revolutionizing the way people teach and learn.

"[Connexions] is trying to reshape the way academe uses both peer review and publishing. The project also has hopes of becoming a major curricular tool at community colleges."

Inside Higher Ed

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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jeff Miller, Ph.D.
Innovative Leadership Solutions, Inc.

- Vist the "ShareAndLearn" blog at:
http://jeffsshareandlearn.blogspot.com
- See the ShareAndLearn e-archive at:
http://lists.topica.com/lists/shareandlearn/read


"Change happens from the outside in but transformation happens from the inside out.” - Dan Burrus

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Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Collaboration, Leadership, Learning, and Community

Hi folks..... I've pasted below the most recent entry from one of my favorite blogs. Good stuff. Thought you'd appreciate it.

jeff
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Lead Quietly

March 19, 2008

Beyond Community to Collaboration and Collective Intelligence

March 19, 2008 Don Frederiksen

I have previously written on the importance of building community in our team environments. Several posts have focused on community building.

Click the above link for the entire post.

Thursday, February 21, 2008

Today's student, Learning and Engagement

Colleagues and Friends

This is a very short post today.... but one I think you'll find to be well worth your time.

If you are interested at all in the state of the various institutions of education and how
relevant (or not) they are, take a look at this 4+ minute video. It is profound. It was
developed by some students at Kansas State.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGCJ46vyR9o

After you've seen this, tell me what you think of this statement..... "screw education
reform.... what we need is education/learning revolution"!!!

Be well

jeff


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jeff Miller, Ph.D.
Innovative Leadership Solutions, Inc.
6526 Oxford Drive
Zionsville, IN 46077
office: +1 317-733-8635
via Skype: jeffmiller79
http://www.inleadsol.com
------------------------------------------
e-mail: jeff@inleadsol.com or
miller.3293@osu.edu

- Vist the "ShareAndLearn" blog at:
http://jeffsshareandlearn.blogspot.com
- See the ShareAndLearn e-archive at:
http://lists.topica.com/lists/shareandlearn/read

"Change happens from the outside in but transformation happens from
the inside out." - Dan Burrus
.

Thursday, February 14, 2008

21st Century thinking, skills, and communities

Hi folks.....

this was posted to the "Smart Communities" blog.... I think it's well worth the time to look at, if you are at all concerned about our collective abilities to innovate, create, and make our communities viable in the 21st century.

jeff
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Workers for the 21st Century: Imagine That

In a poll released in January by the Arts Education Partnership , Americans say that the worker for the 21st century must be able imagine new products, processes, and concepts. More than half of the respondents say that they would vote for the presidential candidate who supported building these capacities in students. Creativity, the Partnership contends, is developed through the arts and creative approaches to education. This is an important finding as we search in our communities for ways to improve education (note I didn't limit that to schools). There are teaching avenues throughout our communities that could help our children develop their creative bent--museums, community art and design classes, theatre--many more I am sure. The STEM disciplines of science, technology, engineering, and math are more likely to lead to innovation if enhanced by the arts advocates contend. It makes sense. If a person can see beyond what is there, then he or she begins to see new possibilities. Charles Kettering, the great American inventor, was once asked the difference between inventors and the rest of us. He replied, "most people think about where they have been; inventors think about where they are going." For more on ways to develop imagination in your public schools visit the imagine website.


full post: http://smartcommunities.typepad.com/suzanne/2008/02/workers-for-the.html

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Friday, October 12, 2007

Leading When Things Are Not Going Well


In general, I have a dislike of most "leadership" books written by coaches (and former coaches) of sports teams.  They are usually just a cliche` fest, with annecdotes of feats of coaching brilliance that are supposed to impress us and teach us how to be leaders.  For the most part it's a tome that stokes the ego of the old coach.  They just don't have much substance to them.  Having said that, here's one that I think is an exception......

People reading this blog/email who know me well, know what an absolute "nut" I am about Ohio State and Ohio State football.  And with that knowledge they must be thinking.. "Miller has lost his mind".... with what I'm about to share.

This entry is about a new book that has come out by and on the career of Bo Schembechler.  For those not familiar, Bo is a legend at the University of Michigan (the most bitter rival for my beloved Ohio State Buckeyes).  Bo's redeeming qualities are that he was born and raised in Ohio, and spent time as an assistant coach at Ohio State.

The one thing we "Buckeyes" always knew deep down.... there was a true affection and respect in both directions when Bo was the coach at Michigan.  The rivalry was intense... but the respect was just as big.

Here's a brief excerpt from the book in which he talks about some profound learning he had as an assistant coach at Northwestern when they lost every game one season.  It's a powerful story. I've also included a link to the longer, more detailed version.

Be well.   /jef

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http://www.leadershipnow.com/leadingblog/2007/10/leading_when_things_arent_goin.html

Leading When Things Aren’t Going Your Way

In Bo’s Lasting Lessons, authors Bo Schembechler and John Bacon relate a story from Bo’s early days coaching. He learned a lesson about leading when the heat is on from his boss from his boss and mentor Ara Paraseghian that he carried with him the rest of his life. Here's that excerpt:...

... Before Ara arrived, Northwestern hadn’t had a winning season in five years, but in his first year Northwestern went 4-4-1, and everyone was encouraged. But in Ara’s second season, 1957, everything went to hell. We lost nine games—every single game we played! For a coach, that’s just about the most difficult situation you have to face. ....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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feel free to share this message with others. Also...
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Jeff Miller
Innovative Leadership Solutions
jeff@inleadsol.com
http://www.inleadsol.com
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 "Gramma said when you come on something good,
first thing to do is share it with whoever you can
find; that way, the good spreads out where no
telling it will go.  Which is right." 
             - Forrest Carter,
               The Education of Little Tree.
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