{"data":{"ID":286,"Class":"Conversation","Created":1378823570,"CreatorID":88,"RevisionID":null,"Status":"Accepted","Title":"Discussing Change Within the Well-Functioning School","Handle":"Discussing_Change_Within_the_Well-Functioning_School","ShortDescription":"Collaborating around the topic of changes in a stable and successful institution can be difficult for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is motivating a sense of need for continual improvement. This session aims to open a dialogue among participants on both philosophical and technical means to facilitate these conversations among faculties.","Description":"While it may seem to be a \u201cfirst world problem,\u201d facilitating a conversation about improvement in an already-successful school can be difficult for a variety of reasons. Some topics to be addressed include:  \r\n-\ttechniques (Google doc collaboration, small groups phasing in work over time, etc.)  \r\n-\tmotivating the need for change  \r\n-\tincreasing buy-in for new approaches and ideas  \r\n-\tunderstanding the legitimate (and not-so-legitimate) causes of resistance to change among teachers and administrators  \r\n-\tintroducing data into a non-data-driven environment  \r\n-\tnot letting the good be the enemy of the great\r\n\r\nThe example of Eric Mazur\u2019s realization that his successful and happy Harvard physics students were actually learning very little, and his efforts to remedy this, will be a jumping-off point for the session. If you're coming, please watch [\"Confessions of a Converted Lecturer\"](http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=WwslBPj8GgI) beforehand! If you're not up for the whole thing, the first 20 minutes or so are the general idea, and [here's an edit](http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=rvw68sLlfF8) condensing it to around 18 minutes.","Link":["http:\/\/tatnallsbg.blogspost.com"],"Audience":["All School Levels"],"Practice":"Modeling one of the practices that can work in a large and stable organization, the large group of participants will establish the goals of the discussion first, identifying several sub-questions, and will break into smaller groups, collaborating face-to-face within the group and intra-group using a shared Google doc. As groups add their input to the doc, they will see the input of other groups, and can add that information to their small group discussion, respond to the other groups, and otherwise form a large collaboration from many small collaborations. Each participant will be able to add his or her voice frequently, feel involved in a more personal small group dynamic at all times, and also be able to share ideas across a larger set of people. Each group will also not necessarily need to address each question, so that participants can add their input to the areas about which they are most invested, improving the average quality of thought of all contributions.\r\n\r\nGoogle docs for collaboration during the conversation:\r\n\r\nFirst Gdoc: [bit.ly\/educonchange1](http:\/\/bit.ly\/educonchange1) or [the direct link](https:\/\/docs.google.com\/document\/d\/1-SJiahgYmG-FS76wpnq_uNUfr20Yq5UqI61eZ0Q992E\/edit?usp=sharing)\r\n\r\nSecondGdoc: [bit.ly\/educonchange2](http:\/\/bit.ly\/educonchange2) or [the direct link](https:\/\/docs.google.com\/document\/d\/1QmnWocjXgclZNVZPujgMHSjrrbwrpoTrnYoQCSeUuqc\/edit?usp=sharing)\r\n\r\nThird Gdoc: [bit.ly\/educonchange3](http:\/\/bit.ly\/educonchange3) or [the direct link](https:\/\/docs.google.com\/document\/d\/194uFZuD9_k7-oKPg2YQIW555Y9qGidFoKCt2G8NeUsk\/edit?usp=sharing)","Presenter":["Joshua Gates"],"PresenterAffiliation":["The Tatnall School"],"PresenterEmail":["jgates@tatnall.org"],"ScheduleSlotID":25,"ScheduleLocationID":12,"SubmitterID":88,"AdditionalComments":"Looking forward to EduCon this year!","LiveChannel":null,"Hashtag":null,"VokleID":null,"RecordingURL":null,"ConferenceID":3}}