Teach to Lead Summit Held in Effingham

(GEORGE COUROS WAS THE KEYNOTE SPEAKER FOR THURSDAY'S LEADERSHIP LAB FOR "TEACH TO LEAD")

Educators from throughout the area were on hand Thursday in Effingham for a Leadership Lab for the Leadership, Creativity and Innovation Project hosted by Effingham Unit 40 schools.

The project was developed at a Teach to Lead Summit held in Columbus, Ohio in April 2017. The LCI program engages students and teachers by creating and developing pathways for learning using creativity and innovation in the classroom. The goal is to provide individuals opportunities to shape their own experience in education. Students and leaders are empowered to take control of the learning process.

The Effingham team consists of high school teachers Rebecca McIntire and Erin Schackmann, Junior High Assistant Principal Charlie Schwerman, Junior High Principal Cody Lewis, and Assistant Superintendent Jason Fox.

14 Unit 40 teachers served as presenters during the Leadership Lab of the 63 teachers who have done the training and 28 students were present at each table to help and sometimes instruct along the way. Online activities, interactive projects, music, 3-D printers that built an artificial foot for a duck and other innovative activities were shared. Presenters illustrated where students are allowed to share in the decision-making in the learning process.

(ALTAMONT EDUCATORS DOUG HILL, JERRY TKACHUK AND PEGGY BUEKER WORKED WITH EFFINGHAM JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT CONNER THOMPSON TO BUILD A TOWER MADE WITH MARSHMALLOWS AND SPAGHETTI NOODLES)

Those in attendance participated in projects throughout the course of the Learning Lab. One involved opening a box and finding various small items and identifying how those items could aid in learning. Another involved building towers using marshmallows and spaghetti noodles. The co-operative nature of the projects was illustrated, as was the variety of types of learning to which students are being exposed.

Most school districts in Effingham County were represented, along with some colleges and universities and the Regional Office of Education. A representative of the US Department of Education was in attendance.

Our Greg Sapp spoke with Altamont Grade School Principal Doug Hill on his impressions of the day...

The keynote speaker was George Couros, who is described as an "innovative teaching, learning and leadership consultant" and author of the book "The Innovator's Mindset". He encouraged those gathered to think of how many things we use everyday that we didn't even know about 15 years ago. He wants educators to make it a good experience to go to school...to "keep the wonder and joy alive". Couros said, "Don't embrace failure, but understand it's part of the process."

Greg spoke with Unit 40 Assistant Superintendent Jason Fox for his thoughts on the event...

A recurring theme of the day was to let students figure out what they can do for themselves.