ImagineIT Final Report

 
​My ImagineIT project is to transform my math department into a professional learning community.  I want to infuse STEM teaching and learning into our math lessons.  STEM requires teachers to give students the time and space to struggle with concepts and having them discover the lesson.
I was extremely fortunate to have the support of my administration who gave me the time and the space to work on this project.  In addition, they gave me the freedom to design and implement.  The process has taught me a few key lessons:
  1.  Slow down.  Change isn’t meant to be done quickly.  Small changes can be big wins.
  2. Celebrate.  Use positive language and encouragement so that stakeholders feel valued as they charter new paths.
  3. Reflect.  Some ideas work and some don’t.  That is to be expected and embraced.  It is by reflecting that we are able to clarify our focus on our goal.
For this project, my peers were the administration and my students were the teachers.  Both groups gave me positive feedback about our journey.  Administration team said they respected my work.  Budget constraints will keep me from continuing in this position next year.  It will be interesting to see how the professional learning community seeds grow.  I felt validated by their feedback and their desire to have me continue, if the funds were there.  My math team also expressed appreciation for my support and encouragement.  I did have to come to terms with a few team members who didn’t care for the initiative and made that known.  I did not let that stop me from moving forward.  I realize that I cannot please everyone all the time and it is unrealistic of me to expect to do that. 
This project has pushed me to be more reflective than I have ever been.  I want to know more and so I seek new learning.  I have support with like-minded teachers in the building.  We are currently discussing ways to create classrooms that are “innovation labs.”  These labs would be for all content areas where teachers could have safe practice to explore the STEM ideals and the ideas of productive struggle.  I am energized in thinking about what the future holds.  

STEM at work!
Students working on Chromebooks during Problem Solving Play Days.
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Follow me as I continue on my journey....

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