Why?

(Note: We were asked to do some learning about organizational change and how it relates to our Innovation Project in our Applied Digital Learning graduate studies. We were asked to come up with some statements and then asked to reflect. After some time to process, this is what I landed on for the time being.)

Why: The Purpose

I aim to instill in learners the awareness of their innate capacity for learning, ensure access to resources, and foster an enjoyable positive, growth-focused learning experience.

How: The Process

Using project-based blended learning, I will create significant learning environments (CSLE) which foster learners’ choice, ownership, and voice (COVA) and harnesses the brain's innate capacity to play, learn, and grow.

What: The Result

Quality instructional practice paired with the intentional use of digital tools will promote student learning engagement and growth, ensuring they have all the experiences and tools necessary to continue learning with confidence and competence.

“Ugh, why are we doing it THIS way?” “This is such a waste of time.” “This is NOT the way I would do it. If I was in charge…”. Leading an organization is challenging. So many people. So many approaches. So many procedures, systems, etc. Leading an organization that needs some adjustments is just as daunting with a standard reaction being: “You can’t tell me what to do”.

What about the organizations that are efficient? What about the organizations that EVERYONE wants to be a part of? What makes them so special? It’s about the “why” that is at the center of what the organization is about. According to Sinek (2009), “People don’t buy what you do. They buy why you do it.” True leaders are the ones that inspire others in an organization to rally around a common desire. They inspire faith that they are the ones that will cultivate others to join them in their cause, and as an outcome move others toward achieving the desired results in their organizational change. For change to occur and buy-in to happen, leaders must “win over hearts” to shift individual thinking. (Kotter, 2011)

In addition to capturing the hearts of others, we learn from Kotter (2013) that leading others to join your cause within an organization also requires an intentional sense of urgency. This sense of urgency is what leads others to persist in implementing changes, rather than give in to negativity or complacency. The need for change, the opportunity to gain something one is missing out on, is just as important as the change itself.

We are at a time when people have unparalleled access to learning as we have never seen before. We have vast amounts of digital tools at our fingertips that allow for opportunities we are still discovering. We have so much research that shows the way the brain functions, plays and learns, and has an amazing capacity for growth and change. (Dweck, 2006)

When a learner comes to the realization that they are capable of learning for themselves and have the support and tools they need to be successful-they become confident in growing their learning even deeper. Learning has never been so limitless as it is now. We have all the pieces to make authentic, deep learning available. The real question is, what is holding our educational system back from rearranging them?

My innovation plan seeks to harness the power of project-based blended learning to inspire others of the possibilities and opportunities that are right before us, inspired by the deep passion of fostering individuals' innate capacity for learning. We don’t want to miss this chance to do what’s best for our learners. The time is now. This is “my why”.

References:

Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: the new psychology of success. Random House.

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Kotter, J. (2011, March 23). The heart of change [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/1NKti9MyAAw

Kotter, J. (2013, August 15). Leading change: Establish a sense of urgency [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/2Yfrj2Y9IlI

Sinek, S. (2009, September 28). Start with why: How great leaders inspire action [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4ZoJKF_VuA