Best "Buy"

Buy in ... to get a project off the ground you need “buy in”. This reminds me of a question I have seen/had/read about over and over and over. What is the best way to get “buy in”?

With students, I have found it to be fairly easy. Make a student say “wow” ... “bought”. Put something cool in front of them and nudge them in the right direction ... “bought”. Show them something simple but done EXCEPTIONALLY WELL ... “bought”. Make their life or assignment ahead of them easier ... “bought”. (Keep in mind I don’t mean remove critical thinking, I mean easier. For example, providing a calculator to a student interpreting complex mathematics.)

With teachers, I have found it to be slightly more involved. I have found much of the same things apply to teachers as do students. Once you “wow” teachers you have them or make a teachers job easier ... “bought”. Putting something in a teacher’s hands is a great start but I have found that you need to show them multiple ways to use the tool to make their job easier or faster. Then you have them “bought”.

Effective administrators will constantly be looking to lead, will keep the time demands of teachers/students in mind when making decisions, will make economical decisions, and will work with people to get the best out of their teachers, students and community. If you want administrator “buy in”, you had better be prepared. “Wow-ing” and administrator has its perks but a good administrator will look past the “wow” and get to details. Showing true instructional value is paramount … and lets face it that’s the bread and butter anyway. Demonstrate instructional value coupled with making teachers more effective teachers … administrator = “bought”.

Think about the projects/objects/relationships that you value. More than likely they are the things you value because you have been able to put your own blood sweat and tears into them. Being able to show ownership or contribute to the value of something whether a project or device is a tremendous motivator and creates a natural “buy in”. Daniel Pink speaks to what motivates us and can therefore create the best “buy”.

An "expert" pawn

What happens when the pawn is the expert? You may expect the “King” to move the pawn into a spot where their knowledge and strengths are utilized to benefit of the rest of the players on the chess board. That has not been my experience but here is my story.

I have been working with iPod touches in classrooms for over two years now and our district is just now starting to think about leveraging mobile technology in education. Schools, teachers, and departments are going to be able to apply to a “grant-like” project. I have and continue to try and work with people to make this project successful. Instead I feel like I am merely obstructing the more powerful pieces behind me who are blitzing to the other side of the chessboard like that is some kind of educational finish line.

A committee (which I serve on) has been given the task of making this project happen but have been given no authority to actually get the job done. This committee of pawns wants nothing more than to work together to produce something worth our time. Instead we are being sequestered where one set of pawns creates one part of the project while others create separate but related pieces. What some of us fear is that the pieces we are creating will not create a complete puzzle at the end of the project but instead something entirely different. We have collaboration tools at our disposal but have not been utilizing them, nor have we been given time to sit face to face and discuss the broad scope (or details or implications) of this project.

I am hoping this project gets off the ground, sprouts big ole wings and flies off the chess board.

iPod Touches have no business in the classroom!

image by: Вася Артёмов

"iPod Touches have no business in the classroom!" -Tech Leader

"We can't support Apple products." -Tech Leader

"The students will just abuse them and get distracted." -Reluctant Teacher

I hear quotes like this all the time.  "iPod Touches are toys, and cannot help the students learn." My experience has shown me differently.

Last week I had the opportunity to work with a teacher who was reluctant but willing to try something new.  I had a buddy (who will be posting here soon) bring a class set of iPod Touches to teach fraction to decimal equivalency to some fifth graders.  While doing the lesson we had the students, the teacher and the principal all switching apps and playing some games that helped to drive home the math concept that we had been discussing and working on.  The students were upset when the lesson was over.  Never were they off task, and not once did I have to deal with a discipline issue in this class (which can be rough at times). The principal even lost herself so deeply in one of the games that she forgot that she was in a room with students and LOUDLY celebrated when she received a greater score!

At the end of the lesson a few amazing things had happened. The students had used a "toy" to gain a concrete grasp of a difficult math concept. The teacher and principal had been exposed to a powerful learning tool, and had bought into the tool completely.  I had just won two more pawns into the game that are willing to lead from the front in order to do things that are best for students.

Share your story about leading from the front.