Change is an Opportunity to do Something amazing!

Change is an opportunity to do something amazing!                                                                                            –George Couros

Change is an opportunity to do something amazing – a simple statement with great insight. Social media has created a platform that has allowed educators to connect in such a way that our profession now has legitimate Edu Rockstars who are currently practicing while also being recognized for their craft. These Edu Rockstars are also influencing innovation in districts, schools and classrooms across the United States as well as outside the borders of our nation. Add to this the incredible influence the Edu Rockstars of other countries are having on educational practice in the United States and it is no wonder that teachers, administrators and classified staff are becoming more and more comfortable pushing at perceived boundaries to create more innovative educational environments that are relevant, engaging and seek not just to educate, but to inspire a love and a passion for learning.

It was perhaps inevitable that the creation of the internet would eventually lead to social media platforms as it builds on a basic human need for social interaction. Yet, it was not inevitable that educators such as Jon Corippo, Director of Academic Innovation for CUE, Adam Welcome, Director of Innovation and Technology for the LaFayette School District and Tom Murray, Director of Innovation for the Alliance of Excellent Education would all cross paths and be recognized amongst other outstanding leaders as 20 to Watch Education Technology Leaders by the National School Board Association. Their collective influence over the past couple of years has created a dynamic shift in the conversations and the actions educators are taking to redefine how instruction is delivered and how school culture is developed.

District leaders such as Michael McCormick, Joe Sanfelippo, and Candace Singh, are setting powerful examples of what it looks like to embrace innovation and risk taking from a systems approach. They are leading by modeling and telling the stories of their districts, modeling how to use the budgeting process to revolutionize the way work is being done and the use of Open Educational Resources (OERs) to support an educational model that embraces today’s tools and resources as part of the educational process.

Site leaders such as Jennifer Klozco, Catinas Haugen, Amy Fadeji, Brad Gustafson and Ken Durham have created cultures that serve as models for embracing teacher voice, academic risk taking , innovation and joy. Whether dancing to the music with Mrs. Klozco and her disco ball, embracing the power of glitter with Mrs. Fadeji, being empowered by Mrs. Haugen, going on a PokemonGo style tour of the school with Mr. Gustafson as a new student or being given an influential voice by Mr. Durham, these Edu Rockstars are changing the landscape of how business is being done in schools today.

Classroom instruction is being redefined by innovative teachers such John Miller, Ed Campos, Marianne Emery who are embracing game based learning, active instruction and redefined learning spaces to increase student achievement. John Miller’s book, coauthored with Chris Scott, Unofficial Minecraft Lab for Kids, is a great example of the influence he is having beyond the four walls of his classroom. Ed Campos has created enthusiasm for 360 Math, active and engaged learning through his day to day work and CUE RockStar presentations. Marianne Emery’s work in her own classroom design is being passed on to other educators through her Twitter account and events such as BOLD.

Former teachers and current educators such as Sam Patue, Brian Briggs, David Culberhouse, and Ben Cogswell continue to light up the landscape of innovation as well. It is impossible to list all the great educators taking advantage of the change social media has brought to the landscape of education. The one thing they do have in common though is that they have embraced change as an opportunity to do something amazing!