George Couros is a worldwide leader in the area of innovative teaching, learning, and leading, and has a focus on innovation as a human endeavor. His belief that meaningful change happens when you first connect to people’s hearts, is modeled in his writing and speaking.
In his 20 plus years in the field of education, he has worked at all levels of school, from K-12 as a teacher, technology facilitator, and school and district administrator, and is currently an Adjunct Instructor with the Graduate School of Education at the University of Pennsylvania. George is also the author of the book, The Innovator’s Mindset; Empower Learning, Unleash Talent, and Lead a Culture of Creativity and his latest book, Innovate Inside the Box.
Keynotes/Talks
The Innovator’s Mindset (Keynote/Workshop)
Description: Carol Dweck’s work has focused on the ideas of “fixed” and “growth” mindset, yet educators will need to go a step further with these notions to create the learning opportunities and that our students and schools deserve. We need to focus not only what we know, but what we do with what we know. In this talk, George will discuss the idea and characteristics of “The Innovator’s Mindset” (as discussed in the book of the same title) and share persuasive examples on why this is so crucial for all educators. George’s presentations are known to be emotional, humorous, all while pushing your thinking, and will connect to your heart first, in a way that will last with you long after this keynote.
Leading Innovative Teaching and Learning (Keynote/Workshop)
Description: Although schools are moving forward, change is always something that many struggle. Focusing on an innovator’s mindset and our “why,” this workshop is meant for leaders to help others within their organization not only accept change but embrace it, to create better, powerful learning opportunities for our learners. It is not focused on the “how-to” of technology but is more focused on the conversations that will help staff move forward in a way that they will be excited yet feel supported in their journey.
Embracing the Core of Innovative Teaching and Learning Now and Moving Forward (Keynote/Workshop)
Sanée Bell says the following; “Students should have rich, relevant, and authentic experiences at school, across the board.” Starting with this thinking, what are some of the ways that we can “innovate inside the box” to immediately empower our students and educators to create those experiences within the school while understanding there are constraints and barriers in education? Although teaching face-to-face is different than in a remote or a hybrid learning situation, the core values of what is important should stay the same no matter the environment. How do we ensure that we support our educators, communities, and students while we are all feeling overwhelmed? How do we embrace the “Innovator’s Mindset” when innovation is no longer optional, but necessary for all learners? The “core of innovative teaching and learning” focuses on four areas where we need to deepen and push our thinking to create an environment within education to develop our students as the leaders of not only tomorrow but give our students opportunities to make an impact on the world today.
From Digital Citizenship to Digital Leadership (Keynote/Workshop)
Description: We often tell our students that what they do online can affect their future, but do we share or teach them how their online presence can also provide them opportunities that we never had as kids? There are many great examples of people and students doing things to not only improve their own prospects, but to improve the lives of those in their schools, communities, and around the world. Kids have a chance to make a difference, and we need to focus on giving them both the opportunities and tools to make a difference in their world through the effective use of technology and social media.
Empowering Parents in the Process of Learning (Keynote/Workshop)
Description: Parent involvement in the learning process of schools is the number one factor for student success. As schools look forward to using social media to improve learning in their schools, many parents are fearful of what this means. Social media provides an opportunity for parents to have meaningful engagement in the learning of their children. This can significantly change the conversations not only at school but also at home with the child. This talk provides peace of mind to parents while also engaging them in considering the unique opportunity they have to participate in their child’s learning.
Workshops
When working with groups, I encourage discussing the “why” through a keynote then following up with hands-on workshops. This pushes learning forward, having participants leave with ready to use tools and educators prepared to implement their new learning immediately. Examples of workshops on specific ideas and tools that I provide are:
- What is innovation in education, and how do we move forward?
- Twitter for administrators/educators/parents
- Blogs as a portfolio
- Google Apps in the Classroom
- Web 2.0 Tools for learning/communication
- Creating a Digital Footprint for our Students
- Digital Literacy
- Digital Identity
- Creating Blended Learning Environments
(Click here for a “menu” of my workshops in greater detail.)
Here is a link to my presentations which are all Creative Commons Licensed for reuse: