Working At The Edge

Make School Different: Digital leadership & Transformation

Learner-centered leaders fearlessly embrace the work of transformation [#ShiftYourParadigm]

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This post is part of a series connected to the podcast Shift Your Paradigm: from school-centered to learner-centered. Lynn and I will be sharing our learning and thinking along the way and cross-posting to the Shift Your Paradigm site.

In Episode 37, we revisit One Stone in Boise, Idaho to learn from Neva Geisler, Opportunity Wrangler, and two learners – Kylie Caper and Bennett Huhn. You may recall that we spoke to members of the One Stone community previously in Episode 29. One Stone is a unique learning organization. It’s student-led and directed and focused on making students better leaders. The program empowers high school students to learn and practice skills through experiential service, innovative initiatives, social entrepreneurship and the radical reinvention of learning.

Key Competency

Learner-centered leaders fearlessly embrace the work of transformation. The coaches and learners at One Stone collaboratively design learning environments and expectations that represent a break from the system. They embrace what many in the realm of education would consider innovations. And in a manner that is designed to disrupt the system driven by the mission of helping students become better leaders and the world a better place.

Takeaways

  • One Stone is driven by a mission – a mission to make students better leaders and the world a better place.
  • There is a significant emphasis on agency and student ownership. In a school-centered environment, students may be involved in service projects organized by adults. Students just need to “show up.” At One Stone, students demonstrate agency in participating in student-led and directed projects they are passionate about. In order to create the conditions that connect learning to student passions, the culture has to help learners find their passion. To do that, they start with the learner first!
  • One Stone is led by a board – 2/3 students; 1/3 adults. Learners really do have a voice in the organization!
  • Teachers are known as coaches and have a role different from the traditional teacher. Bennett shared, “If you’re in a bowling alley, and we’re the bowling ball, then the coaches are the bumpers on the side that are really kind of just guiding you towards your goal.”
  • The focus at One Stone is on growing the learners as people. This is different than in the traditional school-centered paradigm that might be focused on, according to Kylie, “getting good grades and getting that perfect test score. But here at One Stone, I’ve realized that it’s the experiences that I’m learning here and the knowledge and insight that I’m gaining that will help me be more successful in the future.” Neva followed up with the framework at One Stone: Knowledge, Skills, Creatively, Mind Set.
  • Learning experiences at One Stone are connected to learner passions. Bennett shared an example connecting physics to his passion for music. Neva spoke about the One Stone makerspace, the Foundry, which provides opportunities for learners interested in doing work with their hands.
  • One structure in place at One Stone that fosters and recognizes student passion is Winter Exploration. This is a week-long deep dive into one thing students are passionate about.
  • Neva shared her thoughts on leadership. Leaders must be vulnerable. “We talk a lot here about vulnerability, and vulnerability can be tough. But when you are vulnerable within your community, that really opens up avenues for creativity and this culture of failing forward. We are all encouraged to show up as our real, authentic selves. Whatever that may look like. You’re supported here in that, and we are here to help each other grow.” Empathy is also key to Neva. “I think from the coach perspective, you really need to believe in the power of students, and we do here at One Stone. We believe that learners are capable of extraordinary things when they find their voice and they’re empowered to use it.” Kylie and Bennett reiterated the emphasis on the power of student voice.
  • One Stone has an advisory model where students are encouraged and supported to check in and set goals.
  • The One Stone community are committed to being “fearless, embracing the work. It’s not easy to disrupt the system, but that is what we are here to do.”

Connections to Practice

  • Our high school students are provided some open-walled, personalized opportunities through our internship program.
  • We have advisory models in our high school and middle school. What are the successes and challenges of these learning experiences? How could these experiences be developed further so learners are setting goals and tracking progress?
  • We offer many clubs and activities at all levels. This summer we added some workshops – Fly a Drone, Etc – for our learners. But, how do we do more.  Could we have a Winter Exploration session? What would that look like?

Questions Based on Our Practice

  • How can we take our high school internship program to the next level by releasing the agency of our learners to find the projects and work they are most passionate about?
  • How can we get more students involved in decision making?
  • Do we talk to learners (and adults) about how to own their own learning – how to shift that mindset?
  • In what ways do we start with the learners first? In what ways can we improve?
  • Do we believe in the power of students (and the adults in the system) – that they are capable of extraordinary things when they find their voice and are empowered to use it?
  • How do we create more opportunities to connect students with projects in the community?
  • What are the barriers that constrain us from disrupting the system? What does our community want to disrupt?
  • As leaders across the organization, are we fearlessly doing this work? Are we making ourselves vulnerable? How do we know?

Next Steps for Us

  • Reflect upon the ways we act that start with the learner and the ways we start with the system.
  • Consider the idea of a winter exploration session. What are the possibilities? Constraints? If not winter, could it be summer?

Connect with Randy on Twitter, the TLTalkRadio podcast, and the Shift Your Paradigm podcast!

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