(This is a copy of a my guest blog post published this week for the World Innovation Summit for Education – WISE, Qatar – on re-designing spaces for learning: http://www.wise-qatar.org/content/stephen-harris-redesigning-spaces-around-collaborative-teaching and slide show: http://www.wise-qatar.org/node/16860 RE-DESIGNING SPACES FOR LEARNING There is a clear movement occurring in education globally right now – a movement that is seeking...
Okay … this lesson probably commenced in my early childhood if I count the number of hospital visits from bumping into (stupidly designed) concrete telegraph poles in Auckland, slipping off high chairs to raid the top kitchen cupboards or eating poisonous plants because they looked nice. But the notion of learning by doing...
I find leadership a fascinating topic. If something typifies our 21st century world for me, it is the lack of leadership where and when it is needed. This is evident in micro and macro contexts – in countries, communities and schools. The issue is possibly that the media focuses way too much on political...
2011 has been an amazing year for me professionally – a year of great change at NBCS and a year of outstanding opportunities, travel and thinking for me. It has also been a year of new connections. I am going to try and capture some of the main insights during 2011 gained in...
Preface “Birds of a feather flock together.” How is it that various flocks of birds fly together in non-linear formation? How exactly do they communicate with each other to cut and cross paths in synchronized patterns? Is there a captain or a conductor or a coordinator? Do zigzagging birds rotate those roles of captain,...
A few weeks ago, Apple, one of the most successful companies around today saw their leader step down, presumably for health problems. Immediately, consumers were worried and stock dropped with the announcement. Obviously, many were worried about the fall of Apple with the leaving of their fearless leader, and you would see headlines such...
Every now and then, a student is sent to my office. I don’t encourage this practice, because I feel as though a classroom teacher with whom a student has developed a personal relationship is in the best position to help transform a so-called “discipline” situation into a learning opportunity. As I peruse through office...
While reading Carol Dweck’s “Mindset“, I came across this great quote from Lou Gerstner: “Hierarchy means very little to me. Let’s put together in meetings the people who can help solve a problem, regardless of position.” Dweck also adds that from the view of the “…growth mindset, it is not only the select few...
For all of my career, I have done my share of extra-curricular hours. Some years, more than others, but the total in a year is usually significant. Even before I started teaching, I began coaching sports – for enjoyment and the hope it could help me land a job. Some 18 years later, I...
It is has been almost two months since Connected Principals has gone “public” and I have been sitting back and enjoying learning from others. When I first came up with the idea of creating this site, I could not have imagined how beneficial it would be to my own learning. I have enjoyed every...
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