Tidbits, titbits or tipbits?

Many American workers suffer from neck and back pain, and sitting at desk all day is not helping. Here are five work habits that can lead to bad posture along with advice on how to fix them.

From the article:  "Mindsets are simply defined as 'the ideas and attitudes with which a person approaches a situation.' Mindsets imply that mental and attitudinal states can assist one in being successful with a given skill set. I believe this to be true for engaging in the creative process, that a creative mindset is a prerequisite to being creative."  Of particular interest to brainstormers.

Creatives are simultaneously essential and aggravating.  You know who you are, you are the person at the board table asking why?  No one wants to answer you so they pass you over.  But that is one of the strongest attributes of a creative mind:  why?  Why have we always done it this way? Why are we promoting our products this way?  Why are we meeting?

Ask one why question a day - just to keep limber.

I love the graphic here and so agree with this overview of creativity

It's important to recognize that a growth mindset is an overall paradigm for personal development rather than a pedagogical tool for measuring academic accomplishment.

Learn more:

- http://www.scoop.it/t/21st-century-learning-and-teaching/?tag=mindset

Working with learners of low SES and whose environment more often than not ensures they have a fixed mindset, it is important that we help them to redefine what success is. Too often it is fixed around being rich, having a big car, house, jewellery etc. These learners then become preoccupied with looking for the short-cut to success, to the riches they believe will make them happy. It doesn't work out like that of course. How then to help the alter their thinking? 

Dweck's work is essential in this. But as this article states it cannot be seen as "a task to complete".  It requires a shift in thinking of all in an organisation, a movement for a whole-school way of thinking, involving also parents or carers.  This article by Costa, Garmston and Zimmerman provides a solid basis for promoting growth mindsets in educators. 

This article is not specifically related to ICT but it makes some points that all teachers need to consider: how to deal with change, how to grow as a professional, how to collaborate. 

 Interesting perspectives. Also, U.K. have just given employees the right to ask for flexible working hours and the right to expect a reasonable answer, whether affirmative or not.

futurology...always fascinating!

The future workplace is almost here.

Kellerman explains that the current state of leadership is no better understood or produced than it was 40 years ago and that followers are becoming more and more disenchanted by those who are leading them.

Though the leadership industry thrives, leadership in practice is declining in performance.

Learn more.

• http://www.scoop.it/t/21st-century-learning-and-teaching/?tag=LeaderShip
  

Hence the trend being many organisations and practitioners not endorsing American based approaches and either creating their own locally as well as those of Europe, Asia and Middle East many of which are currently producing better economic outcomes.

Learn more:

- http://www.scoop.it/t/21st-century-learning-and-teaching/?tag=project-based-learning

- http://www.scoop.it/t/21st-century-learning-and-teaching/?tag=PBL

Interesting infographic that maps 7 different approaches to leading a team or project

Organizational transformation requires empowerment and participation at all levels.

Professional Development in Other Countries
The Shanghai teacher and Singapore teacher ratios of teaching time to collaboration time reveal even larger disparities. The Shanghai teacher reported teaching 15 hours a week and collaborating 7.5 hours a week. The Singapore teacher spends 18 hours teaching and 15 hours collaborating each week. Spending so much time collaborating with other teachers every week is not a reality for U.S. teachers who feel lucky to chat with their colleagues at lunch or in biweekly faculty meetings.

The differences in professional development systems do not end here though. In Singapore, teachers are expected to do 100 hours of professional development (paid by the ministry of education) every year. That would be 500 hours in five years. In Shanghai, teachers are expected to do a minimum of 360 hours of professional development every five years -- compare that to the mere 120 hours of professional development that is typically required of U.S. teachers every five years.

Learn more:

- http://gustmees.wordpress.com/2013/01/23/is-your-professional-development-up-to-date/

Accountability is one side of the coin. Appreciation is the other. Be accountable today and show appreciation to others being accountable and today and every day in every way will be better

This graphic looks ideal for prompting student reflection and self evaluation.

Great tips to see if you are using a growth mindset!

While type does matter - I believe a successful leader has a bit of all

What is your leadership style!

The best leaders don’t know just one style of leadership – they are skilled at several, and have the flexibility to switch between styles as the circumstances dictate.

Carol Dwek's Mindset is based on a lot of research she has done over the years. It has applications throughout higher education. 

nice set of links about Carol Dweck's Mindset Theory.  Every parent needs to know what Carol Dweck discovered in her research.  

So one who wants to make a change must have a positive outlook on new situations or task that they are not used to?

This article is about how one can gain or become a part of the group that is a growth mind set. You gain success or become a better person by following these changes. 

A MUST read!!!

The most powerful thought this article provokes, is the need to empower children to feel independent and take pride in their ideas. Education is no longer about a tedious transfer of information but facilitating innovation in learning and debating differences. This will call for  a radical change in the way we view our education system, especially in India. We claim to mimic the traditional Gurukul system  which called for experiencing life while learning from it; but we go against every construct of experience and believe that recall of knowledge is way to suceed. The Social Media could contribute greatly in this process of debate, as long as we put in regulators to help people focus.

Yes, yes, yes, yes and yes again! Great rescoop from Gust Mees!

Do you think Leadership is a 21st Century skill?  

useful infographic - keeping it simple but often forgotten