The Spark of Life

One time I was told by an older, very successful game publisher that he looked for "the spark of life" when people would show him their game ideas. Talk was one thing, but he wanted to see the game being played and he looked for the spark.

It was hard to define, but unmistakable when he saw it. 

Now I spend more time teaching than making games, but everyday I see a similar phenomenon as I craft learning experiences. To me, education is about helping people reach their potential. In the span between physical death and achieving one's life purpose there are various levels of existence. I want to help others get closer to the end of fulfillment, to becoming fully alive.

As with games being played, there is a spark I've seen. It's the moment of vision, when the learner sees what isn't there, but what could be. 

Whether I'm training teachers or helping with a lesson in class, I notice the spark. I introduce someone to a new tech tool and they realize how it can be used to bring out something they love about life.

I showed some students how to edit movies last week. One student realized his iPhone could be used for this and I heard him telling his friends how he wanted to make movies at home. He would like to be an actor. I asked him to share any movies he makes with me. I try to blow gently on the spark, hoping to make a flame that will spread.

I show teachers how to do something with Google Apps. Several are in the room and they go through the motions, but some move ahead and go further than what I asked. I talk to them and they can hardly contain the excitement of the learning experience they are planning.

Say what you will about what sets us apart on our journey toward success. It might look like grit, intelligence or a lottery involving DNA and opportunity. I think it is simply the ability to see the spark and to know what to do with it once recognized.

This goes for seeing it in my own life or recognizing when someone else catches a glimpse.

I don't believe this ability to see it should be viewed only as a gift. I don't think the failure to see it is like blindness, as if something just isn't working and could never work.

I have to hope we all can see the spark of what could be. It's just that many forces in life have made it more or less likely that we'll notice it. Some have learned to recognize it. Even once they see it, some have learned to fan ideas of what could be into flame while others were taught to smother them out.

The art of staying inspired so we can inspire is nothing more than looking for the sparks and letting them burn as long as as far as possible.

The right way teachers should use technology

I get paid good money to help teachers and students use technology in education. At work and anywhere else where people know what I do, I'm often accused of being in love with technology. I do tend to surround myself with the tools, both when working or in my hobbies.

But I'm not in love with the technology itself and I don't think this is a minor point. For those of us in the business of educating the younger generation, a field where far too many leaders are still slow to embrace digital tools, it is vital to acknowledge the difference between the tech and what one does with it.

In fact, I'll be so bold here to submit the right way to use digital tools. I'll even go further and suggest that we as educators need to master and model this right way. I'll try to be brief, but I need to go back a ways to set the stage.

I've been playing around with computers for over 30 years. I remember long ago there was a fascination with the tools themselves. I liked getting the latest and greatest. In time, though, the thrill wore off. Oh, I remember a couple times in the past two decades when the tool itself impressed me. The first time I saw an iPhone that old spark was there. But even if new gadgets can still snag my attention for a second, my budget won't allow me to live under that spell.

Somewhere along the line my interest shifted from the tools to what I could do with them. I fell in love with creating new things in all my areas of interest. From graphic design to writing to games, new tools allowed me to do more than I could before.

Tools improved and the internet put me in touch with more people. I am colorblind, but I have learned a few tricks in my graphics programs to work around it when I created images for websites and my games. My love for music and songwriting far exceeds my natural abilities, but I found ways to capture fleeting melodies, transcribe tricky rhythms and communicate arrangements to people who could take them further.

Like all of us who first did that web search for our hobby, we know social media and fan websites have put us in touch with people with similar interests. I grew up and have lived in small towns all my life. There have never been many people who live nearby that shared my interests to the extent that I did. After almost 20 years of having internet access, though, I've created games and music with people from all over the country, some of whom I've never met in person.

I get excited about technology because it lets me create better art and gets it to more people who will enjoy it. I didn't realize it at the time, but all those years I did this with my hobbies were preparing me for my job. Now a lot of my time is spent inspiring teachers and students to create and share the work.

Yes, years ago technology was complicated. Those of us who poured months of our lives into it were impressed with the tech in and of itself. Nerdiness, in one way or another, was required to care that much. Certain skills gave us an advantage to overcome the insane learning curves of the hardware and software.

But the digital revolution we've experienced is not because more people have those skills now or more people just love technology. It is simply this: 

The tools became easier to use and they put us in touch with each other. Then what makes us human was finally able to take over. 

Technology is so prevalent in our society because it allows us to discover, create and connect like never before.

A possible downside is that, just as easily, it can help us retreat and consume the entertainment we discover like never before. It clearly doesn't have to be that way though.

Those possibilities--creating more or consuming more--are why it's so important for teachers to understand, master and model the right way to use technology. Let's look for ways to discover, create and share in a way that amplifies our talents and gifts.

As we do that, we will naturally inspire our students to do the same.

Our Motivational Song for School

Here's a song I put together with Crystal Owen, the music teacher in my district. It represents so much of what I've been learning and trying to practice the past two school years.

Temporary messes in teaching

They are remodeling our high school media center this summer and the place is a mess right now. It got me thinking of how sometimes a mess is necessary for change, but first a little remembering on my part. 

I found this picture in a stack of everything that's in storage and I had to point it out. Our principal had some of us pose with our kids for a "READ" poster years ago. That's me and my two kids. They're both teens now, so I do mean years ago! Aren't they adorable? 

But back to the temporary mess. In the process of changing a building around we see the signs: "Don't mind our mess". It's understood that the change or move to something new and improved is going to look ugly for a while. 

How come it's not so accepted when it comes to a change in a teaching practice? Why do teachers feel a need to have it perfect the first time they try PBL or when they start flipping the classroom? 

I'm working with a high school teacher right now who's trying a new project in Geometry. He's integrating a lot of tech and things are a little chaotic this time around. We are all learning together and we don't know now if test scores on the unit will be as high as they would have been with the teacher's usual approach.

But is that a bad thing, or is it just the necessary mess as we move to something better? The truth is the students are learning a lot. There is a load of teamwork, problem solving and tech skills coming at them (and us). In all honesty we know they might not pick up as much of the course content as we'd like as we work toward change. It's an investment, though, and a first step in a process that will get better each time we do it in the future. 

I'm thankful for teachers willing to make the move and the temporary mess. I'm grateful for principals who understand and encourage it. 

Resources for the Classroom on the Power of Story

Thanks to Lisa Johnson for her list on Listly to get me thinking of compiling these resources.

Who could argue that great teaching and great storytelling go hand in hand? When it comes to motivation, inspiration or just getting the information to stick, we all know from experience that a powerful story gets the job done.

I have been a big fan of Donald Miller's work with the power of story, especially his books Storyline and A Million Miles in a Thousand Years. Miller's point is that we can even live more meaningful lives by evaluating our goals and decisions in terms of what makes great stories. His books helped me through some personal struggles, so he's had my attention on the subject for years now.

Of course, he's not alone in these insights. It seems everyone from sales people to motivational speakers is learning to harness the power of stories and honing the skill of telling them in the best ways.

I'm just starting this list for use in the classroom. I'll keep adding to it as I find more.

Nancy Duarte's TEDx Talk - She reveals a story structure used in great speeches like the "I Have a Dream" speech and Job's introduction of the iPhone

Donald Miller's Free eBook - How to Tell a Story

Erin Gruwell's TEDx Talk - She tells the Freedom Writer's story, which itself illustrates how our stories move us and others.

Coming Soon - My creative classroom game of movie trailers - It uses Donald Miller's short recipe for a great story.

Harnessing the Power of Story - A shorter video focusing on finding your "signature story"

Storytelling the Stillmotion Way - Part 1 of a great series on Vimeo from a group that makes documentaries

Please add your favorite resources on story in the comments below or you can email me.

The Teaching Like an Artist Framework

I've written much about how to teach like an artist or the benefits of it throughout the blog. Ultimately what these thoughts are pointing to is a framework for project-based lessons. It possibly could be a starting point for planning any lesson, but it also is useful in evaluating the lesson or in providing a lens for reflection afterward.

Briefly, here are the components of the framework:

• The vision, dream or idea - What was the core idea that led to the lesson? This could be a goal or an end result that was imagined before anything else.
• Realization through work - What obstacles had to be worked through in order for the vision, idea or goal to come into reality? This is mostly a question for the teacher as she sees her lesson take life. The learners can answer from their perspective, as they are experiencing their own journey through the learning process.
• Reflecting - There is so much potential for learning all around us that we will miss it without reflection. Reflect on the purpose of a learning experience. Whether or not the vision came to reality, reflect on all the learning. Also, in what ways did the work (or could the work) cause others to reflect and ask questions?
• Sharing - What was created that could be shared? What did you learn or the students learn that could be shared? What questions came from it that need to be asked of others? This sharing opens the door for connections on many levels and those lead to the final component...
• Inspire - I believe a good part of inspiration (encouragement to keep going) comes from realizing you've done something no one else could have done quite the same. Regardless of how small the work of art is, recognize the uniqueness and what it means for future works. This lies at the heart of passion, purpose and potential--the ingredients of a full life. It will inspire the artist and everyone who gets to enjoy the art. Look for it and celebrate it in your work and the work of others.

Top Five Things Easier Than Personal Growth

Here's a graphic based on the list I made earlier in the week.