We need to be continually reminded of the importance of creativity and there is no better authority on the subject than Sir Ken Robinson. This interview conducted by Michael Hyatt is another good reminder of how important it is that we reform our systems to support and promote creativity.
Archives For Video – Wednesday Watchlist
I want to thank Steve Whitehead from California University of Pennsylvania for passing on the link to this excellent video.
Seven must-have skills of the future:
- Critical thinking and problem-solving
- Collaboration across networks and leading by influence
- Agility and adaptability
- Initiative and entrepreneurialism
- Effective oral and written communication
- Accessing and analyzing information
- Curiosity and imagination
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In his blog Intentional Leadership Michael Hyatt compares project management to herding cats and points to the following similarities:
- Cats are solitary animals.
- Cats are seemingly aloof.
- Cats are easily distracted.
These same similarities or attributes also easily be shared with the academy. I can easily say this about faculty because I am one and I know that I and many of my colleagues are solitary not because we don’t like people or we don’t like collaboration but because our work often forces us to focus intensely in a very narrow area. Getting faculty to collaborate is important and the best way to do so is to insure that the collaborative effort is worth everyone’s time.
The laser focus most faculty have on their work can also make them seem aloof. Once again, I must insist that it is not that faculty are aloof or uncaring. They are some of the busiest people you will ever encounter so just need the right circumstances to engage. But this is the case for all people–we are only willing to engage in a project or endeavor if it has meaning and relevance. A leader must ensure that the work that they are asking of faculty has significance and respects their time and efforts.
Hyatt’s final point about distraction is common to all people. With all our amazing mobile conveniences comes the potential for endless distractions. Staying on task and keeping a sense of urgency is something that must be modeled. A sense of urgency is caught is not taught, so it is crucial for a leader to walk the walk.
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Thirty ACU faculty and staff attended this exceptional workshop. It is exciting to imagine the hundreds or thousands of students who will benefit from Dee Fink’s leadership in helping faculty at ACU learn how to systematically design their courses and to ultimately create learning environments that are learning centered and outcome based.
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This documentary makes the argument that the college bubble is the next big bubble that is about to burst. Student debt is well over $830 billion dollars which exceeds the credit card debt in the US. Lots of information to consider and validate.
