Agile in Education Conference Agenda

Dr. Vijay Kumar and James Hannon

Welcoming and Opening Remarks

Paul Magnuson

Relentless slow shifting to agile in education

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Paul and his colleagues began experimenting with scrum in the classroom in 2014. As they start their seventh school year, they see agile-infused practices in many areas, including academics and residential life, and in the organization of work in the admissions, summer school offices, accreditation process, and more. Visualizations of workflow based on kanban are common, used informally by some teachers, and as a central tool in our alternative program, Leysin American School (LAS) Edge. 

 

They believe that the agile in education movement will benefit from hearing multiple and varied teacher stories about their application of agility. Through real - and invariably messy - attempts at applying agile's compelling mindset, we can continue to nudge schooling toward greater self-regulation. 

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Nicola Cosgrove

Gathering resources to leverage Agile in the classroom

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In COVID times, it can be overwhelming to think about the uncertainty around us, but in the classroom, having some control over learning is even more important. Nicola works on a specific bank of resources that teachers can use in the class to implement agile-infused practices. Agile isn't something new for teachers; it is something to build upon based on what they are already doing.

Andy Bleach​

Education Agility From the Group Up: A Community Case Study

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How can you influence and encourage change in an institutionalized ecosystem when you have no direct involvement or relevant reputation to draw upon? For years, Andy Bleach observed the state of education in the UK and around the world and fantasied that he could one day help influence it, even in some small way, so that young people could be better prepared for the modern world. On the morning of June 16th, 2020, he awoke feeling different. On that day he stopped fantasizing and began an agile-fueled mission to do something about it. In this talk, Andy tells the story of the fledgling UK Agile in Education Community that he is busy creating - including some exciting plans for the future.

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Tim Logan

Schools that learn: How agile leadership practices can finally delivery the learning organizations we all need

 

The existential challenge posed by COVID-19 has provided educational leaders and policy-makers with a significant opportunity to develop more intentional and long-term agility that will not only benefit the organizations, teacher leaders, and administrators, but also the students, in the mode and cultural context in which they learn.  In this presentation, Tim discusses case study examples of how some senior leaders in K-12 international schools and higher education institutions across the world are developing the agility of their organizations through specific emerging practices. Through an inquiry into the successes and challenges of such innovative practice, we will draw out the implications for more widespread implementation, future training and development needs, and further research.

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Simon Holzapfel

Authentic Agile in Education: Standing up teams with purpose

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At a time when college-aged students' education has been disrupted and internships have evaporated, there is an opportunity to meet these learners' needs by standing up Agile teams with purpose in the real world, building real products, and working outside of traditional academic structures. This experiment suggests one way to bring authentic Agile practices into education more fully by partnering with educational institutions to stand up teams and to learn by doing. This session will tell the story of an Agile team of college students who worked to build a t-shirt start-up dedicated to popularizing the ideas and ideals of F. Laloux's Teal organizations. 

Hana Siddiquee

The Practical Aspects of Teaching an Agile Classroom: A Panacea in the Age of COVID Crisis

 

While various tools and services can help student success, agile education proves to be an exceptionally effective way to increase student retention. This case study is a proven method for teaching and learning that boosts student motivation in higher education. 

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