2021-22 Program Schedule – How Do You Disrupt Thinking to Initiate Change for the Future?

September 21, 2021 – Disrupting Thinking to Initiate Change for the Future, Part I

The focus for this session will be how educational leaders can begin to transform thinking and mental models of key stakeholders to provide opportunities for the future that wants to emerge. The pandemic forced a sudden transformation on how schools operated. Now that students, parents, and educators have experienced over a year of online learning, certain realizations have begun to occur. Online may not have worked for everyone, but it certainly had advantages for many students. The presentation and dialogue will examine how participants can apply regenerative and systems thinking to create conditions for creating new models for learning. The activities will include an introduction to regenerative and systems thinking and activities they can use in their buildings.

October 19, 2021 – Transdisciplinary Learning and Field Trip (Full Day session 9am-3pm)

The October session will focus on Transdisciplinary Learning and how integrating content areas can address real-world issues. Using examples from the US and around the world, we will compare curriculum models from each participant’s school district to see how using real-world problems, such as clean energy, clean water, and infrastructure can employ concepts from various curricula in a transdisciplinary approach. This session includes a field trip that both in-person and virtual participants will be able to participate.

November 16, 2021– Disrupting Thinking to Initiate Change for the Future, Part 2

We will begin to examine regenerative thinking through the lens of Carol Sanford. The session will explore the 7 First Principles for Regeneration and the Obstacles to a Regenerative Life. As educators, it is important to understand our roles in Developing Intelligence, Transforming Value-Adding Processes, and Coevolving Self and Systems. The collaborative work in this session will provide participants with a framework for addressing the myriad of challenges facing school leaders.

January 18, 2022—The Use of Space in Learning Design

This session will focus on how educational leaders need to understand the concepts of physical space and place within their building to accommodate change. Designing spaces, both physical and virtual, is integral after a year in which students and educators operated in a variety of spaces. Looking at actual examples from around the world, we will match various design spaces to match the variety of pedagogies, such as project-based learning, Makerspaces, and community-based learning, that allow the student and teacher to explore the world both within and outside the school building. A panel of architects will discuss how to accommodate curricular and instructional changes within one’s building.

February 15, 2022– Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

This session will examine a range of epistemologies and how these epistemologies can be applied to leadership practices for equity and social justice. Schools are comprised of people who identify in multiple ways. How can we, as educational leaders, create a climate conducive to valuing and respecting the dignity inherent in all people?

March 15, 2022– Education as Seen Through a Global Lens (Full Day Session 9am-3pm)

We will look at examples of educational transformation from around the world to see how micro-innovations are being applied in schools to create opportunities for learners to expand their learning experiences to have an impact on issues facing their community, while still operating within the constraints of traditional schooling. We will connect to school leaders from within and outside the US to gain a global perspective of how micro-innovations are having a profound impact on educational models. This full-day session will be possible for both in-person and virtual participants.

April 19, 2022– How New Types of Technology are Changing the Landscape of Education

Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, Game-based Learning? These terms, and many others, have been touted as the new frontier of the educational landscape. A year after a pandemic forced schools around the world to shift to online learning, what have we learned? What technologies have really made a difference, and what technologies have, and will continue to have, an impact? Various leaders in educational technology will provide examples of how technology continues to be the catalyst in opening new frontiers for learning.

May 17, 2022– What Has This Past Year Taught Us?

This session will focus on how schools, businesses, communities, and people have emerged from two of the most transformational years in recent history. What have we learned? What new opportunities have been presented to learners and educators? Are we better at preparing students for an ever-transformational society? Have our attempts at providing a holistic education been successful? Most importantly, what actions will we take to continually improve ourselves and others?