Frequently Asked Questions
ARC brings together in one location (1) resources, (2) examples of researched practice using agile principles and practices, and most importantly, (3) people.
Several organizations have joined together to create ARC. We are large and small organizations, practitioners and researchers, educators and others.
No. But we believe agile is part of the future of school reform.
Yes. You can send us your name, your organization’s name, and a URL if you would like to be listed on the Friends page. You can send us suggestions for additional resources and research about agile in education. You can also share the website with friends and colleagues.
Yes. While no one has all the answers, we do think we are asking some of the right questions. We are willing to assemble researched examples of agile in education for the community and to wonder with you how agile can help break the lock of traditional mindsets in school.
We suggest you run some trials in your own classroom. Here we explain how some ARC members explored and cultivated agility in the classroom at their school.
Probably the easiest way to get started as an administrator is to focus on the most important things, minimize simultaneous projects, and let people know WHAT is needed while you avoid telling people HOW to do the work. Encourage regular project progress reviews and follow the following feedback guidelines, from Dr. LeeAnn Renninger. Another excellent resource is Pixar’s plussing feedback to help keep people interested and motivated. This is a big change in school management. We therefore encourage small, incremental changes to allow people to adjust and get good at these skills as they are introduced. In particular, we recommend starting with the above feedback methods and communication - developing trust, safety and motivation is key to an agile environment.