Episode Details

Michael Horn, co-founder of the Clayton Christensen Institute and co-author of Blended, shows a principal how to turn a four-year plan for blended learning into a pilot teachers believe in. He treats it as a design process: picture the student experience, map back to the tools it needs, then test it small.

The concrete moment: Jethro tells Horn his staff asked what a flexible learning block looks like and he has no answer yet. Horn says to prototype one lesson or unit each quarter, even in summer school, and to start where your biggest problems overlap with the teachers who want to take risks.

What you'll learn

• Picture the student experience for one lesson or unit each quarter, then map back to the tools, teacher moves and culture it needs.
• Prototype early, by calling a school that has done it or piloting in summer school, so the vision gets tested before it scales.
• Find where your persistent problems overlap with teachers who want to take risks, and start there with a three- to five-year roadmap.
• Rearrange the schedule or take over a group of students so teachers get planning time inside the school day.
• Tell teachers you will back them when they try something that does not make sense, and ask for a heads up first.

Chapters

• 1:51 Planning a flexible learning block you've never seen
• 3:00 Treat blended learning as a design process
• 6:52 Who to start with and how to scale
• 9:35 Inspiring teachers without scaring them off
• 11:01 Match your leadership tools to team agreement
• 15:04 Finding planning time for teachers with 150 students
• 20:06 Use stories and back your teachers

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Questions this episode answers

How do you start planning blended learning when nobody knows what it looks like?
Horn says to treat it as a design process. Define the problem and what success looks like, picture the student experience for one lesson or unit, map back to the tools and classroom changes it needs, then prototype it. That builds teachers' innovation skills and their buy-in.

How do you find time for teachers to plan innovative lessons?
Horn suggests using summers, creating configurations that give teachers time back during the day, and bringing union leaders in early so contracts are not violated. He points to Summit Public Schools, which gave teachers eight weeks of planning time through student externships.

Which leadership style works best when you are leading change?
Horn says it depends on your situation. Chart agreement on how the world works against agreement on goals. High agreement on goals but little on methods calls for vision and charisma. Agreement on cause and effect but not goals calls for managerial tools like measurement.

About Michael Horn

Co-founder of the Clayton Christensen Institute and co-author of Blended and Disrupting Class.

Links and resources

• Michael Horn on Twitter
• Blended
• Disrupting Class
• Four-year plan screenshot
• Jethro Jones chatbot
• Create your ideal week
• Join my group coaching program
• Transformative Principal on Apple Podcasts

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