ASCD Reflection Saturday Afternoon

Redemption and mistakes.  I would first like to apologize for misjudging what I thought was the keynote speaker of the First General Session.  Turns out I walked out during the speaker that introduced the keynote speaker.  I heard Freeman Hrabowski was absolutely EXCELLENT and I missed him because I walked out during the guy who introduced him.  My bad.

My day was totally redeemed by Will Richardson.  His session From Old School to Bold School was so inspiring.  He pointed out that some people attend conferences like this to make their school better and some attend to make their school different.  The difference is significant. Are you simply trying to do the same old things better?  Will explained how school began in a time of information scarcity, but we now live in a environment of information abundance.  What are schools doing differently? What should they be doing differently in an era when every answer is a click away and you don't need to go to school to learn anymore?

Ubiquitous information has allowed individuals to pursue their own interests.  As our society becomes more self organized rather than institutionally organized, so too should our education.  Richardson gave 9 Qualities of a Bold School:

  • Learning centered
  • Inquiry driven
  • Authentic work
  • Digital
  • Connected
  • Literate
  • Transparent
  • Innovative 
  • Provocative
My spirits are lifted and I'm looking forward to Sunday's sessions.  Some of my original feelings are being solidified,  but I want to keep an open mind and give ASCD a change.  More to come.

2 comments:

  1. Hey Justin,


    Thanks for coming to my session and for blogging about it. Glad it worked for you!

    Best,

    Will

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. THANK YOU!! I can't tell you what a pleasure it was to listen to you and see you in person. It was the highlight of my conference experience. I'm honored that you visited my blog too. My school is becoming BOLD! Look forward to hearing from me in the next year. I want you to cite us as a traditional public school that went from old to bold.
      Best Wishes,
      Justin

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