To create the conditions, we clearly need to move away from traditional methods and plan for learning that invites inquiry and ignites passion in our students. One of the greatest lessons we learned in becoming an IB school, was that if you introduce ideas and concepts that matter and are meaningful to students they will (in some cases against all odds) push themselves to communicate their thinking and join the conversation. Just this morning when I asked a student how his day went, he told me he felt confident. When I asked him to explain more he said that he had chosen to research wolves as part of his current unit and couldn’t believe how there used to be so many in North America but now they were gone from so many places. He said he was sharing what he found with the class and because it was so interesting. He was making choices for himself and was given the freedom to explore. I love the quote that Ken Robinson shared by Lincoln where he says we have to “disenthrall” ourselves from the thinking of the past in order to solve the problems of the present. This requires creativity from us as teachers and leaders as well. This reminds me of the famous quote by Alvin Toffler, "The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.”
I think the most important of all of Mobley’s insights is that we become creative people ourselves and encourage it in one another. As we immerse ourselves in creative endeavors we can bring that energy and momentum to designing learning experiences for our kids. I was so glad to hear what Michael Fullan had to say about moving forward post Covid. My fear is that some will see this last year as a call to go back to basics or to focus on remediation for learning loss. I agree with Fullan that what we need most is to engage our students in active and engaging experiences that will help them get back on track as creative inquirers and thinkers.