Yesterday, I wrote a short post asking a question about change, and the response was overwhelming. If you have not read the comments in the entirety, there are some fantastic thoughts. Being inspired by seeing Alec Couros and Dean Shareski present at ATLE and having beautiful visuals with his quotes, I decided to create an open Flickr group (you will have to have a flickr account) where anyone can add their images with quotes, on change in Education.
(*Update. My brother led me to this group that is very similar in focus so definitely use and share resources there.)
Here are some of the quotes that really stuck out for me from the comments yesterday that you may want to use:
“If teachers and students know ‘why’ then the change or the learning is meaningful…” Edna Sackson
“Change can be a lot of work too. Sometimes people also get frustrated when it seems that we constantly have to change, and then just as things are working, we need to change again.” Aviva Dunsinger
“Endless conversation about change is the barrier. Actually committing to doing something and then acting is what is required.” David Jakes
“When we have the autonomy to learn for ourselves and grow through our own desires, we can and will ultimately embrace change for what it needs to be…finding a better way of doing something.” Justin Tarte
“Put teachers together in an organized way, with clear objectives, and they’ll move mountains. Alone, the mountains are just too big!” David Truss
“…what if I build something, in this case a website on the way to building an entire movement, and wondering, and what if no one comes? That haunts me. “ Miss Shuganah
“many others have seen “the newest and greatest” ideas come and go…….and to invest their time, (because it does take time) and their energy and also possible total rethinking of everything which was their foundation — has to have a reason.” Jennifer
“The best change comes as a result of individuals realizing they need to change. If we believe that teachers are the right people in the role, we need to help them realize this on their own and not because they feel forced. True change is internal.” Dean Shareski
“The change that is sustainable must be something that has a reason (answering the “why’) and something that everyone has a stake in. I can get one person to change, but can I make it systemic?” Pete Rodriguez
“It’s dangerous to think we are ever finished or have attained mastery….. which is contrary to everything we teach students by giving unit tests, by graduating them after ‘x’ number of hours, etc.” Julie Cunningham
“They (educators) need someone who has been in the trenches, slogged it out, and can share the good, the bad, the ugly about where they’re going. Too often they get someone who’s just done the research or the book learnin’. There’s no credibility there. They need to hear the war stories. “ Katherine Mann
“…my role is to be the force of change vs. having change forced on me.” Carrie Daniels
“Teachers do not fear changes that they believe in…it is those changes that are forced upon us that make us skeptical.” Kelly Alford
“It is not change that people fear, it is the transition between where they are and where they want to be.” Ian Cullion
“As a leader (any type of leader….not just administrator!) it is our job to help people find their way in this time of change. I for one, am excited and ready to go!” Melissa Dallinger
If you are interested, it would be great for you to create your own visual that anyone can use into the Flickr group. I would love to see if we can create and share some visuals for everyone to use in their work.
