Michael Vizdos

Scrum In School: Lessons By Michael Vizdos

Our current educational system — worldwide — is a relic of the Industrial Age where people (children and young adults) are still taught:

21st Century Skills

People talk about "21st Century Skills" for students like it's something that is needed in the future.

Spoiler alert: We are 25+ years into the 21st Century.

You are passionate about learning how to bring Scrum — and other Agile techniques — into schools anywhere around the world.

Less Talk. More Do.

ScrumInSchool.org is for parents, students, teachers, staff, and administrators to learn more about Implementing Scrum in School. It's an evolving resource for people to read case studies and learn how to implement Scrum at the district, school, and classroom levels.

Please note: if you are a staff member, school admin, or leader within your school district, visit EdVizion.com. You can also contact me to talk about how we might be able to help you and your team in the "operations side" of your school or district.

Let's Get Started…

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My name is Michael Vizdos and I am one of the early pioneers of Implementing Scrum and other agile methodologies, with 35+ years of professional experience.

My personal journey with Implementing Scrum in Schools (K-12 and Universities) began in 2012. We also home schooled our kids (now young adults) before they attended a public high school specialty center. This journey did NOT happen overnight and it is still a work-in-process as we all learn more together and evolve.

Case Studies

Center For Information Technology (2012 – Present)

I am a volunteer with both the students in The Center and as an Advisory Board Member. The CIT (Center for Information Technology) is a specialty center at Deep Run High School in Henrico County, Virginia. This public high school specialty center is an application-driven cohort that starts with 50 students in the 9th grade (Freshman year). They continue as a group through their Senior Year. Recently, they assembled all of the students (200+ in their yearly cohorts) for their first "conference experience." A case study is in development to be shared in the future.

Hope High School (2015 – Present)

I started as a volunteer and moved into a part time role with Blueprint Education (at the District level) beginning in 2020. Hope High School (in Phoenix, Arizona) is a blueprint for Agile In Education to be used around the world for both physical and online schools. I continue working part time with students, teachers, coaches, support staff, and administrators from the schools and the district. A case study is in development to be shared in the future.

First Lego League (2015 – 2017)

I volunteered with a local middle school team in Implementing Scrum with a team of 8-13 year old people on their "First Lego League" (or FLL) team projects. During our third — and final year (2017) — for that team, the students advanced to the State level competition (and had a blast!).

Agile In Education - Compass (April 2016)

I volunteered as co-facilitator for a group of educators — from around the world — in creating our version of an "Agile Manifesto" (and we intentionally did not call it another manifesto). It is called "The Agile in Education Compass." You can learn more at AgileInEducation.org.

Grandview Preparatory School (December 2016)

Toward the end of 2016, I volunteered (with a paid facilitator) at this school to begin "flipping the classroom" with a three day workshop. We continue to work with them as they transition to a new way of working together as students, teachers and administrators.

VCU Scrum Master in Residence (June 2017 – Present)

I work part time with the VCU da Vinci Center with their Master of Product Innovation program — and other colleges within the Virginia Commonwealth University system — in helping to shape the future of higher education as a model to be replicated worldwide.

Iowa Big (July 2017)

I was invited to volunteer (with a paid facilitator) during the Summer of 2017 to help facilitate another Agile Classrooms workshop for teachers and administrators at this concept school called Iowa Big. Take "project-based learning" and combine it with the framework of Scrum — the possibilities here are enormous.

Blueprint Education (July 2020 – Present)

I am the part time Agile Coach for the Blueprint Education School District in Phoenix, Arizona. As a member of the Impact Team (School District Leadership), I have a seat at the table in helping guide the District, Schools, Classrooms, and Students in Implementing Agile and Scrum in the real world with them! Learn more at BlueprintEducation.org.

Agile Educator Guide (July 2021)

After years of volunteering together, a subset of the original creators from the Agile In Education Compass published and released an incredible Creative Commons resource for teachers around the world to use — the Agile Educator Guide.

Certified Agile Leader: K-12 Certification (July 2021 – December 31, 2023)

The pilot program of the "CAL-K12" certification has been shut down by the Scrum Alliance. As one of the co-creators of this program, I am sad to see it go but also know that the work is carried on at the Blueprint Education School District and others around the world.

AgileDemics and Blueprint Education Collaboration (August 2023)

Facilitated an in-person event in Phoenix, Arizona to connect Blueprint Education, local agilists in the Phoenix community, and the Agile Alliance (the AgileDemics) Initiative.

Ready to Join Me?

There is more information coming soon to help parents, students, teachers, staff, and administrators when Implementing Scrum In School at the district, school, and classroom levels.

Take a look around. Learn more. Contact me if you'd like to talk about ways we could collaborate.

Thank you.
Michael Vizdos
Focus. #deliver