The following list offers a variety of resources that you might find useful. I’ve divided them into resources types – i.e., books, clips, papers, etc. If you choose to use/review any it would be very helpful if you would post a comment/send me an email about the usefulness, resonance, etc. so that I can continue to edit the list to offer additional info about them.
If you are just beginning your explorations, you might want to begin with the clips and links. Robinson and Pink are great places to start. If you are interested in the ways in which you might increase your exposure to connected learning options, Richardson and Seely Brown are excellent.
If you are looking at both practical and thought provoking reading, the links to Connected Principals and Mindshift are exceptional places. Most people who visit these decide to subscribe.
Books – all books listed are available in electronic format
Why School?: How Education Must Change When Learning and Information Are Everywhere, Will Richardson – moving education and laerning beyond the walls of the school.
Unschooling Rules: 55 Ways to Unlearn What we Know About Schools and Rediscover Education, Clark, Aldrich – deceptive title… the book provide an interesting blueprint for what should be the cornerstones of school programs
How Children Succeed, Paul Tough – a fascinating look at research around what makes children successful and what lessons this research has for schools
Tools For Teaching – Discipline – Instruction – Motivation, Fred Jones – one of the most practical books I’ve encountered on dealing with the practical issues of creating a effective classroom climate… a rewrite and consolidation of two earlier works
Out of Our Minds: Learning to Be Creative, Ken Robinson
Element, Ken Robinson – both books deal with the premise that while the current focus on standards is necessary but not sufficient. They focus on the need to help student discover their passion and the need to focus attention of the development of creativity in all children
* A New Culture of Learning: Cultivating The Imagination For a World of Constant Change, Douglas Thomas and John Seely Brown – In both his book and his video clips, Brown advocates for the creation of electronic learning communities and provides examples of such communities and the way that they function
Tell Them I Built This: Transforming Schools, Communities, and Lives with Design-Based Education, Emily Pilloton (also a TED Talk) – The author describes how she and a colleague brought design-thinking to a rural community and brought the school system and the community together through authentic learning projects/experiences
The Servant Leader: How to Build a Creative Team, Develop Great Morale, and Improve Bottom-Line Performance, James A. Autry – a look at a different approach to leadership
Engaging Students, Phil Schlechty – a great book about the changing thinking that must take place in our view of education in order to accommodate the realities of the learning needs of the current generation.
Leading Learning, Phil Schlechty – an extension of the Engaging Students book that concretely addresses the steps that leaders can/should/might take to cause learning in both kids and adults in response to our current challenges
Fierce Conversations, Susan Scott – the most powerful book that I’ve encountered in my time as a school leader and executive coach.
Fierce Leadership, Susan Scott – the extension of the fierce conversation approach to leadership. Neither book is specifically about school; however, they are BOTH totally about school.
The Social Animal, David Brooks – a great book about the topic of relationships and the power of relationships in effectiveness
Sh*t My Dad Says, Justin Halpern – nothing whatsoever to do with school but a great read after working through any of the above works
Clips
* Sir Ken Robinson – Changing Paradigms in Education – Sir Ken challenges the way we organize teaching/learning
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U
* Escaping Education’s Death Valley – Sir Ken offers thoughts about the how we might organize learning
http://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_how_to_escape_education_s_death_valley.html
* Will Richardson – Teachers teaching Teachers… first 11 minutes (or more) – Part of a long clip that provides an example of the use of electronic learning communities. I would do a search on Will Richardson on YouTube. He has some excellent talks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihh4LZyL-nQ
* John Seely Browne – adds thoughts on engagement, passion, etc. He gives a great example of how kids are using the internet to create learning communities that are not bound by any walls.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGdpbba1i9c
Dan Pink – One of the nation’s leading thinkers challenges traditional thinking about what motivates adults (and kids)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6XAPnuFjJc
Tim Bedley – This is a short clip that illustrates the use of whole brain instruction with elementary kids. The lesson is focusing on critical thinking skills. If this interests you, Tim has a series of clips on YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0akVmCfUJiQ
Rita Pierson – Every Khild Needs A Champion – inspirational talk about the importance of committing to the success of each and every child
http://www.ted.com/talks/rita_pierson_every_kid_needs_a_champion
* Maya Penn – This is a clip by a young student that speaks to what happens when kids follow their passion. It’s one of several like this on TED.
http://www.ted.com/talks/maya_penn_meet_a_young_entrepreneur_cartoonist_designer_activist
Logan LaPlante – Hackschooling – Clip by a young boy who paints a picture of alterative learning environment
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h11u3vtcpaY
This list keeps growing. I’d welcome any suggestions for additions.
Here are a few new ones that I mentioned in our discussion. They are all TED Talks and I don’t have the links handy right now but they can be found via a search on TED.com
* Simon Sinek has two worth viewing… The Golden Circle and the piece on Leaders who build trust. Ket me know if you have any trouble getting to them
* The other that I mentioned is by Eddie Obeng entitled Smart Failure… He speaks faster than the speed of light but his stuff is very good, especially when he talks about our tendency to apply learnings/solutions from the past to problems in which the context may be totally different.
Links
Will Richardson’s site – Will work and writings have been a driving force in my decision to join the blogosphere and share both his thinking and some of my own
willrichardson.com
www.fno.org – (From Now On), Jamie McKenzie – a great resource for responding to the current (and probably perpetual) needs of kids. An ugly home page, but go to Articles and Books on the home page and then to “other Cool Stuff where you can access the subject index at the top banner menu. These topics are some of the best pieces available any where.
* Flipboard – a social media aggregator – i.e., an app that allows you to identify news sources, blogs, etc that you want to follow. While available for download as a mobile app for most mobile tablets and devices, Flipboard can also be accessed via the web on laptop or desktop computers. Here are Sources (Called “Magazines” in Flipboard speak) that I have found exceptionally useful and informative:
Here are a few that I follow (or have created):
* EdRethink is a magazine that I curate along with a colleague, Tom Welch. This is a regularly (very day or so) updated collection of posts, links, articles dealing with the ways in which we might explore improving learning for students (and ourselves).
- Career Readiness – a magazine created by the Successful Practices Network to provide educators with background and resources relating to the Career Readiness component of the Common Core Standards
Education, Teaching & Tech by Vicki Davis… I believe you can also Google Vicki and get access to her writings that way too
Education, Technology, and Blogging Tips by Sue Waters – same as above for Google search access
EducAtion (Articles for Learning) by Brendan Gilligan – same as above
Teaching with the Brain in Mind (Connecting Brain Research, learning and teaching) by Igor Riznar
* Teach@Thought (may also show up if you search on TeachThought) – This is outstanding and has lots of great stuff. The hosts are incredibly prolific and add new stuff almost every day.
www.connectedprincipals.com – a very good source of blog posts on the principalship and leadership
MIndshift – blog – sample and link to subscription option
Teach Thought – Excellent source for instructional resources and thinking. Strong in areas of technology, instructional design, & leadership
http://www.teachthought.com/culture/the-most-fundamental-idea-in-public-education/
Rethinking Learning... 