By David Knapp, Loveland City School District director of technology
“In any given moment we have two options: to step forward into growth or to step back to safety.” – Abraham Maslow
Growth is not easy. It can be scary, is often messy, doesn’t follow any prescribed path, and looks different for every single one of our students. As educators, it is our goal to provide students with an experience that grows them to their fullest potential, develops their intellectual curiosity, and empowers each Tiger to find and pursue their passions in life. At Loveland Schools, student experience leading to Tiger Growth is what we are all about. As we ask our students to fully engage in their learning experience, we, as a district, are also challenging ourselves to continue to grow and develop. The goal of Tiger Innovation is to directly support Tiger Growth as we look to provide an innovative learning experience for each of our students, including an engaging, flexible and relevant learning experience… enter Loveland[x].
[quote_box_left] As we ask our students to fully engage in their learning experience, we, as a district, are also challenging ourselves to continue to grow and develop.[/quote_box_left]Providing vision and leadership from the ground up, this year we have put in place teacher innovation teams we are calling Loveland[x]. With the purpose of supporting and sustaining an innovative teaching and learning environment, this team of teachers and administrators are doing the work of #TigerInnovation in a very big way. With Loveland[x] teams in each [quote_right]We are building this mindset day by day into our very DNA.[/quote_right]of our schools, and made up by over 80 Tiger educators, these teachers collaborate around innovative instructional strategies, beta test and pilot new resources and teaching methods, and share their successes and failures (which are encouraged) with one another as we work to meet the needs of our 21st century learners. Through Loveland[x], we are able to create a shared vision around the goals of innovative teaching and learning which include a focus on continual reflection and building upon our existing foundation of teaching and learning practices, and a goal of raising our Tiger’s to be lifelong and passionate learners. We are building this mindset day by day into our very DNA.
[quote_box_left]This gamified book study explores passion around teaching, and embraces the notion of lifelong learning which provides the foundation for Tiger Innovation.[/quote_box_left]For example, did you know that approximately one-third of our district teaching staff is currently engaged in the Innovator’s Mindset Book Study Challenge, focusing on the book Innovator’s Mindset by George Couros? This gamified book study explores passion around teaching, and embraces the notion of lifelong learning which provides the foundation for Tiger Innovation. Born from this book study was a new initiative the district is implementing immediately: #MyTigerIdea. Recently launched on our website, this new communication platform is the podium from which you can share your idea for Tiger Innovation with our senior administrative team… all of you! Students, staff, teachers, parents, community members – literally any member of the Tiger Family can share their idea for how we can improve the student experience on this site.
As we step forward – together – into growth, prioritizing an innovative student experience, we promise you we will to continue our mission of Preparing Students for Tomorrow, Today, regardless of what that “tomorrow” may entail.
Your partner in innovation,
David Knapp
Director of Technology
Loveland City School District
