Disruptive Theory-Disruption Matters

What is disruptive innovation theory? In a nutshell, disruptive innovation is a tool for change! Innovative disruption takes place when a new model of business or application is created that enters a market and provides new opportunity. It is easiest to explain by giving a few concrete examples. We used to go downtown to go shopping then Walmart and Target came along and disrupted the existing retail market, then Amazon and eBay came along and disrupted the existing market again. Also, at one time if you were involved with computers, you were highly trained and needed to be wealthy to have one, then along came the PC and disrupted the market. Disruption provides access, makes things affordable and helps consumers do things more easily and effectively.  One thing that is seen over and over in this disruption is that the organization that currently holds the market share isn't able to make the changes that the innovative organization entering the market has made. The organization that becomes outdated and irrelevant has set their own model up so it can't handle making the change needed to stay competitive.

Now how about education? Well this organization is a classic example of how an existing organization has been set up in a way that it also can not innovate and change internally. Some disruptive innovation that we have seen in the last decade is the increase in Charter Schools and alternative schools. These schools haven't really created the innovative disruption that has been able to change how we educate our children. According to recent research the disruption in education is now coming at us full speed with technology. This does not mean just adding computers to the classroom, but allowing students to learn outside the confines of an outdated school building. The disruption is coming and it's coming in the form of online learning. What will the current structure of school look like in 5 years.....stay tuned!

CUE = Choice

I can always count on learning many new things when I attend CUE conferences. As a matter of fact, I usually have to leave before the end of the day because my brain can not absorb any more information. CUE is the perfect example of differentiation for educators. I like this model so much that I now conduct my professional development with my staff using this model. I have set up multiple choice sessions that teachers can choose to attend. It is critical to meet all learners where they are and that holds true for educators. We talk about differentiation in the student classroom and as an administrator I am committed to providing this type of choice training to as many teachers as I can. Education is changing rapidly and we don't have time to be sending a few teachers to learn, we must get this training to all educators. The thing that impressed me the most at SDCUE was that most of the presenters were local teachers. The majority of the attendees were also teachers. We should rename this conference 'Teachers teaching Teachers'

Invictus-The 16th Man

The movie Invictus presents Nelson Mandela's life from prison to World Cup Rugby victory in a Hollywood portrayal. The 16th Man, a documentary represents a more authentic look into the struggles and successes of Nelson Mandela's actual life that lead him to prison, his years there, and his courageous rise to leadership. This documentary weaves politics and showcases the 'Springbok', South African's national rugby team. His greatest asset developed in prison was patience. He remained stedfast during his rise in power with a calm and committed demeanor. He did not demand trust from the whites or the blacks, he earned it every step of the way.  With years of Apartheid, tensions were high all over South Africa. The blacks were counting on Mandela to not only reverse these laws, but to favor their cause. For a while it looked as though Mandela was siding with the white way. He saw an opportunity that not many diid. He saw a way to unite all South Africans through Rugby. The impact of Mandela's brilliant relationship building helped transition the country from segregation to integration. For Mandela to bridge these relationships between races with sports and with out a racial war, will go down in history as one of the greatest leadership strategies ever implemented.

As a leader, I honor his bravery and know I will simply never be challenged to any extreme. I have had several political challenges though, and I take stock in Mandela's bravery. I have learned if you believe in your cause and know it is is the right thing then you must remain stedfast in commitment. My cause is always to put children first and I am willing to endure a fight against those whose politics get in the way of what is best for children.

Clay Shirkey - Cognitive Surplus & Changing the World

What is a culture of generosity and how can it be used to improve education? What does it mean to say, "Free cultures get what they celebrate?" How can you as a leader affect what you celebrate?

A culture of generosity creates and shares resources that have civic value. In our free access to created and shared ideas, we must differentiate between what is quality and what is throw away. Shirkey defines the cute, clever and LOL as having communal value and those shared sources that benefit society as having civic value. When designing for generosity we need to use digital technology to develop human capital and intellectual capital through this great social networking opportunity. The Ushahidi Platform is a perfect example of pundits designing for generosity. There is a vast spectrum between mediocre and quality. We end up spending too much valuable time sifting through it all. In education, we are in a rapidly changing environment. There is much work to be done and I feel that we need each other more than ever. Utilizing tools such as Twitter could affect change by connecting educators and enabling us to expanding our learning collaboratively. As I lead my organization, I need to be mindful to create and share sources that have real value. Creating teams and networks at the site and district level will enable us to build cognitive surplus and improve learning for all students.