What I have been thinking about:
This month I have been thinking a lot about the importance of building a schedule that includes time deep work. After analyzing my summer task list I found that I filled up a majority of my summer and last year with completing tasks. This lead to very little time for creation and deep work. To help increase my deep work time I have gone back and recreated my schedule for next year. In a future blog post I’ll share in more detail what I am trying this year to regain my time.
Blog Posts to Checkout:
Build the Perfect Productivity System with Paper Notebooks and Digital Tools by Zapier
The process of balancing digital and analog tools is not easy. This article shares some great paper based productivity systems (I personally use a modified version of the bullet journal), some tips on when to use digital or analog tools, and some hybrid digital/analog tools that are worth checking out.
And it’s gone —The true cost of interruptions by Gabriela Motroc
Another article about the price you pay when you are constantly interrupted at work. What I found interesting was the idea of planned interruptions vs unplanned interruptions. I plan on tracking my own work habits over the next few weeks and seeing how my productivity is impacted by the numerous planned interruptions I have throughout the day.
The Big Mistake: Failing to Support Innovation With Proper Resources by Phil McKinney
Money, resources, time, and manpower….Things that every school wishes they had more of. Phil McKinney says that all of these elements are necessary for innovation. As I read the article I found myself trying to think of ways to maximize the four elements within my own organization. It’s not easy but in order to create an innovative culture all four are necessary.
How idea adoption works–The Idea Progression by Seth Godin
Yet another awesome Seth Godin piece. As I read this I kept thinking about change in schools. Godin argues that when you are looking to implement change or introduce a new idea it’s super important to find the people on the fringe that think like you do.
My Books for the Month:
Last summer I had the opportunity to see Warren Berger keynote at the 2016 Student Achievement Symposium that LACOE hosted. At the event we were all given a copy of Berger’s book A More Beautiful Question. I am only halfway through the book but I am loving it. The ideas and concepts shared in the book are very applicable to education. In fact the second chapter in the book is dedicated to the importance of keeping questioning alive in education. I would suggest this book for anyone who is looking for a way to start innovating within their organization but is not sure where to start.
I know this has nothing to do with education but I love this series and think that everyone should give it a chance. The fun story, dynamic characters, and jokes hidden in the artwork always put a smile on my face. Sadly this is the penultimate trade which means the story is quickly coming to an end. The Last Suppers set the stage for what I’m sure will be a crazy ending to this awesome story.