"Embracing Change - David Truss"
{Full image below}
{Full image below}

[Update: See more on the topic of Embracing Change
in my May 19/2014 post on Leading Change.]

I’m working on my Spotlight Presentation for Connect 2014: Canada’s Learning and Technology Conference. Here is my presentation description:

Shifting Education – Embracing the Transformation
A quick 3-part journey into my ‘Shifting’ series of blog posts that looks at embracing educational change, envisioning a bold new educational frontier, and leading change from where ever you may be in the transformation… Followed by a look at Inquiry Hub Secondary School: A small high school that uses a blended learning model, with no block scheduling, which provides dedicated, student-driven inquiry time.

One of the key ideas in the presentation is that a collective ‘we’ are the people who will change education in a positive way. To do this, ‘we’ need to recognize that:

  • Change isn’t usually easy.
  • Change only happens when we create a need.
  • Change is not a thought or a discussion, but an action.
  • The time to act is now.

Tonight I came across this quote, and I wanted to create an image to go with it.

“If it’s important, you’ll find  a way.  If not,  you’ll find an excuse.”

This is what I came up with:

"Embracing Change - David Truss"The idea is simple. The greater the importance we place on something, the greater the challenge we are willing to face. We will find a way! However, if it is not important enough, then it is much easier to make excuses than it is to make the effort to face the challenge or to change.

Change happens when:  Importance > Challenge.

I am hoping that by the end of my presentation, participants will be inspired to face a new challenge that they may not have chosen to tackle before my presentation. I’m still struggling to create an authentic way for participants to share their plans, to publicly commit to taking on a challenge, or to begin ‘finding a way’ once they decide on their new challenge.

Above, I intentionally called my future presentation attendees ‘participants’ and not ‘audience’. The challenge I’m working on now is making my presentation meaningfully participatory. I don’t want people to come to my presentation to talk about embracing change, I want them to experience it. That’s important to me. If I find my way, I’ll be helping my participants find their way too! 🙂

– – – – –

My Shifting series: Shifting EducationShifting LearningShifting Attitudes

[Image updated 5/5/14. Original version here.]

14 comments on “Embracing Change

  1. Would add that change not only …(tends to happen) once we create a need but can/should happen when we discover, recognize, or acknowledge a need. Speaking of which. ..need a place for authentic online interaction?

    1. Hi Gord,
      Love that you are always pushing me forward. I WILL get some students into one of your virtual worlds next year… hold me to this! 🙂
      Yes, change could and should happen when we discover, recognize, or acknowledge a need, but I don’t think that generally happens unless the need is more important than the challenge.
      Your comment prompted me to add something to my post:

      Change happens when: Importance > Challenge.

      The 1:1 Slope in the image implies this, but I didn’t explicitly say so. That’s the point of the image I created.

      Now that I think about it, I have to change the image too. I think I’m going to put a caution sign in front of the climber… to imply a reason not to go on because the challenge is too great.

      Thanks for inspiring me!
      Dave

  2. Dave,

    I love what you have done here. Change is the only constant in education right now. I wonder if you could tie a technology piece to your participants. Perhaps they could find a new digital tool to implement into their work or class. Just a thought. I am not sure who your audience is either. Thanks for sharing

    1. Thanks Jeremy,
      I’ve created a Google Document to help spur conversation around the message(s) in this video: http://youtu.be/jAoOmzKn_Sg and I’m toying with the idea of using #edushift as a hashtag where I invite participants to make a public commitment/declaration.
      In the end, I’ve got 1 hour and need to be honest with myself and respectful to participants about how much I try to deliver.
      Thanks again,
      Dave

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