{"id":11914,"date":"2018-05-16T08:50:12","date_gmt":"2018-05-16T12:50:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/edtechteacher.org\/?p=11914"},"modified":"2018-06-12T15:02:04","modified_gmt":"2018-06-12T19:02:04","slug":"creating-a-community-of-change-agents-at-the-inspired-learning-convention","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/edtechteacher.org\/creating-a-community-of-change-agents-at-the-inspired-learning-convention\/","title":{"rendered":"Creating a Community of Change Agents at the Inspired Learning Convention"},"content":{"rendered":"

Last week, I had the privilege of keynoting the first annual Inspired Learning Convention<\/a> in Mendon-Upton, MA.\u00a0 Whereas many schools and districts talk about the need for\u00a0innovation<\/em>, educators in Mendon-Upton use the concept of\u00a0inspired learning<\/em>.\u00a0 As I wrote in a post on EdTech Researcher<\/a>, I like this definition as it places the focus on the learner and not the teachers, the environment, or the technology.<\/p>\n

In inspired learning<\/em> classrooms, students wrestle with messy problems that require convergent and divergent thinking as well as a deep understanding of a domain of knowledge. They view the experience as authentic in that it allows them to address issues related to the world beyond the classroom and make connections beyond individual lessons or tools. Further, instead of working in isolation, students navigate this complexity as part of a learning community that values their skills and talents. Finally, students own their identities as learners, making the process a personal (vs. personalized) experience.<\/p>\n

When discussing the keynote with the organizers of the convention, they made three requests.<\/p>\n

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  1. Model the tenets of inspired learning.<\/li>\n
  2. Focus more on the\u00a0how<\/em> than the\u00a0why<\/em>.<\/li>\n
  3. Encourage people to form a community.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    In the weeks leading up to the convention, I wrestled with these requests. However, this video from Henry Jenkins<\/a> sparked an idea. He makes a reference to Dumbledore’s Army<\/em> from Harry Potter<\/span> and raises the question of what students can truly accomplish when they have an opportunity to engage in a more participatory culture.\u00a0 In a similar vein, consider what educators might accomplish when they form a community of change agents.<\/p>\n

    Every Great Rebellion Begins with a Band of Rebels<\/h1>\n

    Thanks to this spark of inspiration from Jenkins, I decided to use the theme of\u00a0rebellion<\/em> from Harry Potter<\/em>, Star Wars<\/em>, and The Hunger Games<\/em> and then leverage Jean Paul Gee’s framework for the design of learning experiences.\u00a0 According to Gee, great learning experiences should demonstrate four key tenets: a clearly articulated goal, meaningful action on the part of the learner, someone to manage the attention of the learner so that they notice the important parts, and an overall good design. You can watch the video below.<\/p>\n