"Iteration is the key to innovation." Sebastian Thrun
Iterate! Work Together to Review, Reflect & Revise
Congratulations! You and your school just created your first 21st Century Learning Conference! Now what???
We're sure that it was an awesome day full of inspiring moments of authentic and inspiring learning! We'd also guess that there are MANY things that you'll do differently when you host your next event. The key to success with your conferences comes down to one word: iterate. By embracing the design process - as outlined in the image of the Launch Cycle - you can ensure that your conferences get a little stronger with each iteration.
Take a look at the Launch Cycle below. Take two minutes to engage in a turn and talk about other places where this type of design thinking takes place in your school.
We're sure that it was an awesome day full of inspiring moments of authentic and inspiring learning! We'd also guess that there are MANY things that you'll do differently when you host your next event. The key to success with your conferences comes down to one word: iterate. By embracing the design process - as outlined in the image of the Launch Cycle - you can ensure that your conferences get a little stronger with each iteration.
Take a look at the Launch Cycle below. Take two minutes to engage in a turn and talk about other places where this type of design thinking takes place in your school.
Simple Strategies to Launch Your Next Conference
The process to review, reflect, and revise your conferences is exciting - but also potentially time consuming. Here are a few simple strategies to make the work manageable.
- Get Collaborative: Rather than taking this work on in isolation, get representatives of your constituent groups together for a short but effective burst of collaboration. At Nipmuc we use our Lead Learner Workshops for this purpose. Our Lead Learner sessions occur weekly and take the place of traditional department chair meetings. All students and educators are invited to participate. It's the perfect venue to serve as a workshop to build your next conference. Check out more about our Lead Learner Workshops here.
- Build a Shared Definition: Begin your workshop with a simple question that helps people to reconnect with the most important elements of your conference. One question you could ask is, "If you were explaining a 21st Century Learning Conference to someone from another school, what aspects of the event would you highlight?"
- Review Feedback Together: In the "Go Pro" section of this workshop, we talked about the importance of collecting feedback from students and educators. Take some time to share out the ratings of the event and the feedback for improvement.
- Think Big! One of the most powerful aspects of these learning conferences is that they provide a venue to challenge some of the assumptions we make about school. For one day, we get to rewrite the rules of school. Encourage your school to think big with the "What if?" protocol below.
Let's Play the "What If?" Game
Nipmuc's 21st Century Learning Conferences began and evolved by asking the question "What if?".
What if we threw away the bell schedule for the day?
What if we invited community partners into school to run workshops for our students?
What if we ran full-day sessions?
What if we moved workshops off campus?
What if students led workshops?
Now it's your turn! Let's play the "What if?" game as a way to explore how we can continue to grow our 21st Century Learning Conferences. Working in groups, begin sharing your "what if" statements. The rules are simple: be sure to go in order and remember that everyone must answer (no skipping turns!). You can build off someone else's idea or share one that is all your own. When you are done, write the top "what if" statements on sticky notes and post them under the appropriate categories.
What if we threw away the bell schedule for the day?
What if we invited community partners into school to run workshops for our students?
What if we ran full-day sessions?
What if we moved workshops off campus?
What if students led workshops?
Now it's your turn! Let's play the "What if?" game as a way to explore how we can continue to grow our 21st Century Learning Conferences. Working in groups, begin sharing your "what if" statements. The rules are simple: be sure to go in order and remember that everyone must answer (no skipping turns!). You can build off someone else's idea or share one that is all your own. When you are done, write the top "what if" statements on sticky notes and post them under the appropriate categories.