Reading Seth Godin’s First, Ten post it occurs to me that this is how you spread ideas and new ways of teaching and learning around a school.
Find ten people in the school that respect you, that trust you, that need you or will listen to you. Those are the ten people that you try to sell your idea, lesson plan, new way of doing things. If those ten people don’t love it, you have the wrong idea/lesson plan. Start over Seth says.
If they love it, your idea will spread, you cannot persuade the masses, you can only persuade willing participants.
As these willing participants change and adopt your ideas, your lesson plans then change will happen in your school.
In our school we have had direct experience of this as we formed a grassroots technology group that meets (on our own time, hence the willing participants) before school on Friday mornings for half an hour to share ideas about tech. We have about 8 consistent members out of a population of 80 teachers.
Our science teacher blogged about it here
Ewan McIntosh tweeted about it last summer from BLC 08 (Building Learning Communities)
This group took over the school for one of the 24 90 minute professional development days and held a technology showcase, that is still in the works as teachers throughout the school finish projects that were started that day. A future faculty meeting sharing these projects will also add to the strength of the group. Maybe new members will arise and our range of influence will be increased. Our local power of ten.
Can you create a small passionate group where you are?
Photo credit: Duncan http://www.flickr.com/photos/34427470616@N01/2693140217
FYI: I now run small (2-4 people) classes and individual online tech sessions
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