George Couros’ book Innovator’s Mindset
After reading George Couros’ book “Innovator’s Mindset: Empower Learning, Unleash Talent, and Lead a Culture of Creativity”, it made me reconsider how I would word my beginning of the year questionnaire for my students.
I wanted to start the academic year where students knew that my Spanish class would be student focused with student choice. Also, I wanted students to know that I value their input in their learning process. Several points in Couros’ book reaffirmed my view on teaching, learning, and the classroom environment.
I included quotes from the book by Thomas Friedman and Erica Goldson to provide a more global perspective from the “real” world and that of a student that “played the game of high school”.
I wrote the questions both in English and Spanish for my students and made several of the questions optional. I presented these questions to students via Google Forms. This platform provides easy access to their responses for reflection later in the year.
Beginning of the Year Questionnaire for Students
¿Cómo te llamas y qué es una cosa única de ti?
What is your name and what is something unique about you?
¿Has conocido otro país hispanohablante? ¿Dónde?
Have you been to a Spanish speaking country? Where?
¿Por qué estás estudiando español? ¡Sé honesto!
Why are you studying Spanish? Be honest!
¿Cuáles son tus metas para este año escolar?
What are your goals for this school year?
¿Qué te hace curioso sobre la cultura hispanohablante y el idioma?
What are you curious about with the Spanish language or culture?
¿Cómo prefieres aprender? ¿Qué te facilita aprender español?
How do you prefer to learn? What makes it easiest for you to learn Spanish?
Como novato, ¿harás preguntas en clase? ¿Por qué sí o no?
As a learner, will you ask questions in class? Why or why not?
En tu opinión, ¿está bien hacer errores cuando hablas, escuchas, lees, y escribes en español? ¿Por qué sí o no?
Do you think it is fine to make mistakes speaking, listening, reading, and writing in Spanish? Why or why not?
¿Qué tipo de actividades o productos podemos crear este año escolar en español con nuestros compañeros y computadoras? ¿Qué tipo de producto quisieras crear?
What type of activities or products could we create this year in Spanish with our classmates and computers? What kind would you like to create?
¿Quieres colaborar con estudiantes en nuestra aula o en otro país?
Would you like to collaborate with students in class or even with students in another country?
¿Qué podemos mejorar nuestra clase de español que el año pasado?
How could we make the Spanish class even better than last year?
¿Cómo quieres aprender y experimentar la cultura hispanohablante?
How would you like to learn and experience the Spanish-speaking culture?
En tu opinión, cómo es la mejor manera para practicar hablando en español?
In your opinion, what is the best way for students to practice their speaking?
¿Crees que con dedicación y practica, tú podrías aprender y hablar español o otro idioma con de forma competente?
Do you believe with hard work and practice, you would be able to learn and speak Spanish proficiently or any language?
Google attracts so much talent it can afford to look beyond traditional metrics, like G.P.A. For most young people, though, going to college and doing well is still the best way to master the tools needed for many careers…. Beware. Your degree is not a proxy for your ability to do any job. The world only cares about – and pays off on – what you can do with what you know (and it doesn’t care how you learned it).
– Thomas Friedman “How to Get a Job at Google”
¿Cómo deseas mostrar a todo el mundo que aprendiste el contenido? ¿Skit? ¿Póster? ¿Grabación?
How would you like to show everyone that you have learned the material? Skit? Poster? Recording?
¿Qué es tu opinión sobre un Día de Innovación? Un día cuando muestras una creación o producto en que estás orgulloso?
What is your opinion about an Innovation Day? A day in which students show off one assignment, creation, or product you are proud of.
Al fin y al cabo, ¿crees que vas a mejorar en tu habilidad de español? ¿Cómo sabes que has mejorado?
By the end of the school year, do you think you are going to improve in Spanish? How will you know that you have improved?
Ahora, ¿piensas en seguir estudiando español el año que viene? ¿Por qué?
Are you planning on studying Spanish next year? Why?
Excerpt from the Valedictorian Speech by Erica Goldson
I am now accomplishing that goal. I am graduating. I should look at this as a positive experience, especially being at the top of my class. However, in retrospect, I cannot say that I am any more intelligent than my peers. I can attest that I am only the best at doing what I am told and working the system. Yet, here I stand, and I am supposed to be proud that I have completed this period of indoctrination. I will leave in the fall to go on to the next phase expected of me, in order to receive a paper document that certifies that I am capable of work. But I contest that I am a human being, a thinker, an adventurer – not a worker. A worker is someone who is trapped within repetition – a slave of the system set up before him. But now, I have successfully shown that I was the best slave. I did what I was told to the extreme. While others sat in class and doodled to later become great artists, I sat in class to take notes and become a great test-taker. While others would come to class without their homework done because they were reading about an interest of theirs, I never missed an assignment. While others were creating music and writing lyrics, I decided to do extra credit, even though I never needed it. So, I wonder, why did I even want this position? Sure, I earned it, but what will come of it? When I leave educational institutionalism, will I be successful or forever lost? I have no clue about what I want to do with my life; I have no interests because I saw every subject of study as work, and I excelled at every subject just for the purpose of excelling, not learning. And quite frankly, now I’m scared.
We are more than robotic bookshelves, conditioned to blurt out facts we were taught in school. We are all very special, every human on this planet is so special, so aren’t we all deserving of something better, of using our minds for innovation, rather than memorization, for creativity, rather than futile activity, for rumination rather than stagnation? We are not here to get a degree, to then get a job, so we can consume industry-approved placation after placation. There is more, and more still.
