Begin with the Why
The task of bringing my innovation plan of blended learning stations to life involves change on an organizational scale. Change like this is not to be taken lightly, So I have outlined a plan with the steps involved to make this change successful.
The best place to begin, is by setting the purpose for change with the why. Please click on the link below to view my blog post on why the changes I desire are important.
The best place to begin, is by setting the purpose for change with the why. Please click on the link below to view my blog post on why the changes I desire are important.
Creating Lasting Change through Influence
Change is one of the hardest things we as humans face in life. Change, even with good intentions in an organization is often seen as something that is unwanted and difficult. A successful change in an organization is possible, but it must begin with an appeal to the heart, “In a change process that is significant, you have to win over the hearts and the mind”, ( Kotter, 2011). When I began thinking about the “why” of wanting to bring blended learning stations to my school, I came up with a core reason for why this change needs to happen. Students deserve an active role in their education. This simple statement is the driving force behind the changes I want to see. It also appeals to the heart of teachers who at their core want what is best for students. After creating a “why” that appeals to the heart, the next step was creating a plan to bring about this change.
My desire is for a long-term change and therefore my plan must be something that my colleagues buy into. Here is where the six sources of influence come into play. I first had to identify the vital behaviors that would need to occur for my plan to be a success. I also needed a clear and measurable result. Having these key pieces in place will play a vital role in the success of my plan.
Within the six sources of influence, I also had to find those key people in my organization who can make or break my plan. My influencers will be my administrators and teacher leaders within my campus. With the aid of my influencers, my hope is that my colleagues will see why this change is necessary for the success of our students.
Once there is buy in, social support will need to be in place. I have planned to make this change as painless as possible by creating lessons and templates that teachers can see themselves using to create stations within their own classrooms. The project will begin with my own classroom implementation and I hope to provide data to bring those who may still be reluctant on board.
There has never been a better time in education to make positive and lasting change. With the use of the six sources of influence, my hope is that I can create a change that gives students an active role in their education and increases engagement and student learning.
References:
Grenny, J., & Patterson, K. (2013). Influencer: the power to change anything. McGraw-Hill Professional.
Kotter, J. (2011). John Kotter- The Heart of Change. YouTube/ John Kotter- The Heart of Change. https://youtu.be/1NKti9MyAAw.
From Influence to Action
Once the plan of influence has been created, the next step is putting it into action. The Four Disciplines of Execution: Achieving your wildly important goals by Simon and Schuster outlines a strategy for executing this plan. I have used these strategies to create my own model for implementing my blended learning station plan. Please click on the link below to view my 4DX plan.
Crucial Conversations: Making Communication Count
The plan and strategies to implement are in place, but what about the teachers who will be involved in the implementation of my innovation plan? Change is not something many may want and even the best strategies for change still may not be enough to win the hearts and minds of all of the teachers I am trying to reach. This is where communication will be critical for success. Some of the conversations I will have with teachers will become crucial conversations. Click on the link below to read my blog post about crucial conversations and ways to make them successful using strategies from the book Crucial conversations: tools for talking when stakes are high by Patterson, Grenny, & Swizler.