Dan Pink asserts in this video that the modern workplace will thrive on three factors: autonomy, mastery, and purpose.
I especially like the idea of a FedEx day. What if teachers the district were given a full day to work on anything they wanted? We’d only need one rule:
You have to present your creation to the rest of the staff at the end of the day.
This kind of self-directed development reminds me of the Idea Stock Market that I wrote about a while back. With any luck (and leadership), the days of stale, stagnant professional development are numbered.
Joel:
I was very inspired by the lecture by Pink. I attended the Google Teacher Academy this summer and was blown away by the potential of Google’s 20% time. After returning home I decided to give this idea a try in my own class (a potentially disastrous idea I realize!). Pink’s research based case for this very ideal has once again convinced me that this is something that I should try.
Your post inspired me to post the video on my blog. I gave you full credit for the inspiration.
Credit, scmedit. I’m just psyched that ideas resonate. I can’t help but think we’re partners in crime, in some small way, John.
I talked to my district superintendent today, and I learned that he’s a Dan Pink/Ken Robinson fan as well. That 5 minute exchange was more inspiring than all the speeches he’s delivered and all the official letters he’s sent out.
How are you planning to roll out 20% time to your students? The management implications are little daunting for me, at least right now.