World of Learning Institute

Practice Becoming “. . . Practice any art, music, singing, dancing, acting, drawing, painting, sculpting, poetry, fiction, essays, reportage, no matter how well or badly, not to get money and fame, but to experience becoming, to find out what's inside you, to make your soul grow”.                       Kurt Vonnegut We are back at it folks! Excited to be working with teachers and learners! Teachers are amazing. I get the good fortune to meet lots of them in our World of Learning. What I know is that they are practicing all the time. I see them working hard at practicing the art of teaching as they learn new tasks and share professional learning each summer. I have the good fortune to work with amazing teachers at IU8’s World of Learning and as I support school districts through our Open Campus Initiative. I talk to people who care about learners, as people, every...

I started my weekend with a text message from Dave Lehman, the Superintendent at Conemaugh Valley School District about his testimony in the State Senate this week. I like working with Dave. We have become sounding boards for each other as we have worked collaboratively through Appalachia IU8. The job of a Superintendent goes well beyond the scope heading up schools. Most people don’t know how many hats a Superintendent wears on any given day. Some days we talk about alternative programs and expanding learner options - other days we just commiserate about how little we get to talk about education. James Hollis in his book Swamplands of the Soul stated, ‘Doubt is a radical form of faith’, something that I think is needed when working as a Superintendent. I have learned so much from working with Dave these past few years, he digs in when doubt is present. He often has simple, yet profound advice as he muddles through one of the many difficult issues faced by Superintendents most days. ...

Words matter! How we use words matters. The Leaders of the Hopi Nation in 2000, proclaimed “the time of the lone wolf is over”.   I watched a special on PBS that gave me hope. “American Creed - Ideals that Unite Us” - former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and her Stanford colleague, historian David Kennedy lift the many amazing stories and different voices that make up the unique fabric of the United States of America - check it out HERE . We are all in this together. So when I opened my email and saw Dr. Michelle Saylor front and center of Education Week’s Leaders to Learn From - I was excited! She talks about language uniting people - expanding possibility. I love the positive impact of teaching World Languages to all learners. Language matters. Dr. Saylor’s mission to provide opportunities for everyone to experience another culture through the language rings sweet for us in the World of Learning at IU8 . Michelle’s story is well worth the read. Lear...