Change Behavior

I found the information presented in the videos and readings for this week to be some of the most valuable information I have encountered thus far in the DLL program. This is because this week's information lets us know what could really make or break our entire change efforts. It addresses the vital behaviors we should focus on changing as well as the necessary steps to take that will help make changing these behaviors possible.

In the Three Myths of Behavior Change - What You Think You Know That You Don't video, Jenni Cross explains that we cannot depend on common sense to try to change behavior because common sense makes us believe that education will change behavior, that we need to change attitudes to change behavior, and that people think they know what motivates them to change behavior when, in actuality, they really don't (TEDx Talks, 2013a). Instead, utilizing the six sources of influence is a more powerful approach to take.

The six sources of influence mentioned by Joseph Grenny in the Change Behavior- Change the World video and Influencer book are personal motivation, personal ability, social motivation, social ability, structural motivation and structural ability (Joseph et. al, 2013; TEDx Talks, 2013b). As I learned about each of these through the video and reading, I pondered various ways to enact most of them in my innovation project. For personal motivation, I learned that I need to allow for choice, create direct experiences for my stakeholders, tell meaningful stories, and make the change have a game feel (Joseph, Patterson, Maxfield, McMillan, & Al, 2013) To allow my stakeholders to feel a sense of choice, I can tell stakeholders that we have the chance to create a highly valuable learning experience for students by implementing the flipped classrooms with project-based learning and, if they choose to implement the plan, we will provide as much on-site resources and support to make the transition as easy as possible for them. To create direct experiences for my stakeholders, I could conduct a flipped modeled training in which stakeholders gain knowledge of flipped learning via online resources and then apply what they learned in a project-based activity during training. To tell meaningful stories, I think it would be helpful to bring in successful early adopters of flipped classroom with project-based learning and have them share their experiences as well as their student successes. I am still thinking of ideas for how to possibly incorporate a game feel for the change and welcome any suggestions.

For personal ability, this will be where offering even more training may come into play. I could provide teachers with training on how to conduct project-based learning in the classroom and, throughout the year, offer continuing sessions with deliberate practice (Joseph, Patterson, Maxfield, McMillan, & Al, 2013) for any areas that teachers have difficulty implementing effectively. Part of this personal ability can also involve providing teachers with resources and ideas for how to make the home component of flipped learning more engaging and valuable.

When it comes to social motivation, I will need to gain initial support and buy-in from at least one of the formal leaders (principal or AP) and one of the opinion leaders (a classroom teacher with a high level of respect and trust on campus). Gaining their support initially will be very powerful in getting others on campus to join in with the innovation plan.

For social ability, I think it would be wise to form a strong network of teachers who are willing to work together to make the implementation a smooth process. For flipped learning resources, each team can delegate who is responsible for collecting and developing content for the home component and the project-based learning activities for particular topics. This will help prevent teachers from feeling overwhelmed during planning. I also think it will be very beneficial to establish several technology saavy teachers and specialists on campus as “gurus” who agree to provide support to teachers when needed.

When it comes to structural ability, this is where the positioning of the campus “gurus” will be imperative. Ideally, I would like to have at least 1 tech saavy teacher or specialist on each grade level that teachers can quickly go to and gain assistance from when needed.

Along with the game feel, I am still thinking of how to possibly implement structural motivation in my innovation plan. I welcome any ideas or suggestions for how I can utilize these in my plan. If anyone has any other suggestions for ways to effectively incorporate the other influences, I am open to hearing those as well.

REFERENCES:

Joseph, G., Patterson, K., Maxfield, D., McMillan, R., & Al, S. (2013). Influencer: the new science of leading change. New York: McGraw-Hill Education.

TEDx Talks. (2013a). Three Myths of Behavior Change - What You Think You Know That You Don't: Jeni Cross at TEDxCSU. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/l5d8GW6GdR0.

TEDx Talks. (2013b). Change Behavior- Change the World: Joseph Grenny at TEDxBYU. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/6T9TYz5Uxl0.