text:
Decades later, I can still remember things my teachers said, how they said them, even the intonation of their phrases, and how their words made me feel.
In the scheme of life, it's hard to say how these fleeting moments of encouragement—or derision—shaped my life, but I do know that words are a powerful tool, one we can use to either build up our students or tear them down.
Since we're well into National Reading Month, I'd like to share a few tips for talking to your reluctant and struggling readers.
"If you keep this up, you'll be reading at X level by next month!"
This seems like something we should say to struggling readers, doesn't it? Not so fast. While you should be realistic about your students' abilities, avoid hampering their progress by setting an unrealistic—or too-easily attainable—benchmark.
Instead, simply let your students know that you believe in them and that you are certain their hard work will pay off.
"Read faster!"
Why are we always in such a hurry? Slow down and allow your reluctant readers to set their own pace, even if it means they "fall behind." They may be slower than their peers, but one thing is sure: pushing them to read faster isn't going to help build their confidence, their comprehension, or their enthusiasm for reading.
"I understand that you don't like the book—but that's the assignment."
Sometimes a little tough love is a good thing, but before you take off the kid gloves, ask the student why he or she isn't enjoying the book.
Asking your students this question may provide insight into their interests and reading abilities. You may, for example, discover that the vocabulary is too challenging in one book, or that some students prefer non-fiction over fiction books. Armed with this information, you can make accommodations and help students select more suitable texts.
"Everyone else is reading silently—please stop talking."
It can be frustrating and distracting when students talk during silent or quiet reading time, but instead of immediately scolding students, make sure that you know why they are talking. I've often found that the talkers are actually chatting to each other about the books they are reading. That's a good thing!
If this becomes a distraction, you might allow students to use a stress ball or fidget—or give them the option of listening to an audiobook.
"Stop! Reread that line, please."
As a general rule, we avoid stopping students if the mistake doesn't interfere with the meaning of the text. For example, if a student mistakenly swaps out "a" for "an" or "fine" for "fun, we let it go, especially if this is the first time a student is reading the text.
This is the second in an ongoing series of posts inspired by How I Work, a series on one of our favorite sites, Lifehacker. As educators, we like to know how other educators work, how they live, and how they play, so every week we'll be featuring a new interview with a new teacher. This week, we'll hear from Clint Walters, a Computer Information Technology teacher from Stewartstown, PA.
Location: I live in beautiful Stewartstown, nestled at the bottom of South Central PA, just north of Baltimore MD.
Desired location: I love it here, but I'm willing to live wherever I can pursue my passion for teaching in the Computer Information Technology field, support my awesome wife and family, and ultimately where ever God and my career take me.
Current work title (administrator/teacher/school technologist, etc.) Also, what grade do you teach?: I am a Computer Information Technology teacher for grades 7 & 8. I occasionally facilitate online courses for Graduate students. I recently conducted a gaming literacy workshop for undergraduates at a local university.
Area of expertise (subjects you teach or have an interest in):
My area of expertise is hard to articulate. Lately, I've been writing a lot about Game Based Learning, Game Design, and Gamification, which are big areas of interest. That is my current passion, and what I most often teach online and speak on. Design is a big part of what I teach from graphic design to design thinking. I'm getting more into the areas of Coding and Programming for my students because I feel that that is an essential tool for my student's future. When it all comes down, my goal is to teach students to be "awesome". I want them to be fluent users of technology, sure, but the ultimate goal is to make them expert project managers, leaders, entrepreneurs, and world-changers. There's not enough of that happening in the school day. I don't think we became a world power by producing great test-takers, and I don't think that's enough to keep us there.
Do you have a specific long-term career goal?:
My current goal, as lame as it sounds, is to continue doing what I am doing, and remain open to what comes next. Currently, who I am fits what I am doing. When there is a disconnect there, it's time to change.
I do, of course have dreams and aspirations. I would love to develop relationships with entrepreneurs and companies in the education technology field. I would love to get involved with a company that promotes serious epistemic games or game-based-learning, while still staying connected to the education field. I really admire the work of companies and organizations like Institute of Play, E-line Media, Games for Change, BrainPop and the Games Learning Society, to name a few. There's a new company in Baltimore, called Immersive 3d that's doing some really impressive work with Baltimore County Schools. I just think that it would be incredibly engaging and rewarding to get involved with one of these projects or something like it.
In my heart of hearts, I would love to make my school into a Quest school. I would settle for being part of starting something like that somewhere, locally or otherwise. I want to see the whole concept of systems thinking, design thinking, STE[a]M learning, and 21st Century skills become available to more students in more places. I want to engage policy makers, teachers, administrators and most of all, parents in demanding more for our kids than rigorous testing, useless trivia, and constant remediation.
Languages you have studied or currently speak:
I've studied French in high school and college, but I currently know more Japanese than French. That may be misleading, though. I only know enough Japanese to survive on the mat at the Aikido dojo I attend. I've studied a fair amount of html and css, though I can't really speak those languages.
The project you're most proud of:
Currently, my pet projects are my classroom and curriculum, my workshops and presentations, and my online course writing. I take pride in all of these. Mostly, I take pride in my students, who make and do awesome things in my room.
The classes that I teach are my ongoing project. I'm constantly re-thinking, revising, and re-iterating curriculum, activities, and even classroom layout. I inherited a 7th grade class in MS Office and an 8th grade class in technical drawing and digital photography. Now my seventh graders publish blogs, participate in social networking, design engaging graphics, make their own video games, learn coding and programming, and explore the nuances of project based learning. My 8th graders go deeper by experiencing 9 weeks of project based learning, which requires them to develop unique solutions and select and use computer applications effectively and productively, seamlessly transferring created objects between selected computer applications and other tools. Both of these classes focus heavily on design and systems thinking and employ a generous amount of gamification and game based learning.
Favorite time of the day:
That depends on the day…
Favorite technology gadget for the classroom:
I'm not sure how to answer this. I have a lot of software that I like to use. I have a lot of techniques that I like to teach that are made easier with technology. I have access to several gadgets that do things well, but I do not have a favorite. It's all in the application.
Next conference/professional-development event you're planning to give or attend:
Whatever and wherever I can. I just attended EdSurge Baltimore, and I just missed SXSWedu (tears). Being a public school teacher does not afford one the opportunity to attend such events. The funding is barely there to retain teachers, let alone provide them with any real and meaningful professional experiences. This is one of the reasons why I wish to develop more relationships (and see teachers in general be more connected) with entrepreneurs and companies in the education technology field. In order to get out of one's duties, let alone cover travel expenses, one practically needs to represent a company.
How many hours per day do you usually work?:
That depends. Some days I work in my sleep. Typically I'm on the clock from 7:30 to 2:50, but I'm at work from 6:30 to 3:00 most days. Then I come home and devote myself to my family. After my kids go to bed, I typically put in an hour of work on my blog, any freelance design work I may have, or facilitating online classes. I also tend to spend between two and four hours on these pursuits on the weekend as well.
Are you an introvert or an extrovert?:
I am an extreme extrovert. I really dislike being alone. I recharge in the presence of others. I dwindle and wither in isolation.
Are you an early-riser or a night-owl?:
I am neither. I like to get to bed before 10:00 when possible. I wake at 5:00, though I can't say that I am particularly joyful at waking. I think that I used to be a morning person... before children. Now, I spend a lot of time feeling tired.
Do you have any pets or kids (names and ages)?:
I am blessed with an awesome family. My wife, Lanette, and I have two kids. Hudson, age six is in Kindergarten, and loves Legos, Games of all kinds, and building stuff out of anything around the house. Eliza, age 2, loves climbing, demolishing whatever Hudson builds, and using mommy's iPad.
My wife, Lanette, is a K-5 technology integrator in a 1:1 iPad school and is now the Digital Curriculum Reviewer for Kindertown.
Next city/country you want to visit:
Here, I don't have a strong preference. I recently went to Boston, which was not on my radar at all, but I loved it. I enjoy visiting new places. I would love to go to Japan someday. That would be cool.
Favorite vacation place:
My favorite vacation spot is anywhere my family is. Lately I enjoy Bethany Beach, DE because that is where my family goes on vacation. I would be as happy vacationing in Maine or Florida or my back yard.
Favorite book:
My favorite fiction book is JRR Tolkien's The Lord of The Rings, which I discovered in 11th grade. Thank you, Mrs. Smith. My favorite non-fiction title is Reality is Broken, by Jane McGonigal.
Favorite song:
I'm a musician. I play the drums and world percussion. I love music. I do not have one favorite song. Today, I am enjoying Cake's rendition of Mahna Mahna. I consistently enjoy music by the Black Keys, Mofro, and Jack White. I tend to enjoy everything from the Ting Tings to Mavis Staples. I have eclectic tastes.
Where we can find your website/blog/classroom blog:
http://www.clintwalters.com (my main website)
http://mrwaltersdesk.blogspot.com/ (my education blog)
Do you have a Twitter account we can follow you on?:
Cross-Posted from: http://wsascdel.blogspot.com by @HannahGbenro
I have the privilege of speaking with several principal interns regularly. Last week, one of these principal interns asked me about the different leadership positions I've served in. Then she asked, "Knowing what you know now, would you have taken different steps in your career?" My response came surprisingly easy, "No. I have accepted positions because they leveraged my strength to make a difference for kids, while allowing me to grow and learn from amazing leaders."
Leadership is a journey of choice, and I was reminded of that this week as I proudly reflected on the difference I've made during my leadership journey so far. I'm privileged to make a difference for students on a daily basis as I continue my journey of learning and leading.
Leadership is a journey of choice, and I was reminded of that this week as I proudly reflected on the difference I've made during my leadership journey so far. I'm privileged to make a difference for students on a daily basis as I continue my journey of learning and leading.
Response to White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African
Americans: Strategic Diversity Plan Executive Summary for African American Males in the Arkansas Delta.
If we continue to call the institution that our children attend to acquire an education "school" we must begin to demonstrate some evidence of learning. Names can be very misleading; the name of an entity should match its purpose and accomplishments. Based on the ineffectiveness of most school in the nation, to call our institutions for learning "school" is a misnomer. Locally, our students continue to score low on the Arkansas Comprehensive Testing Assessment and Accountability Program (ACTAAP); we continue to sustain the employment of incompetent teachers. We continue to use the same instructional strategies that have failed to advance students achievement even though there are alternatives that have proven to advance academic achievement available. The key to success in diverse classrooms is selecting and implementing powerful instructional methods that simultaneously address a variety of different learning needs (Voltz, Sims, & Nelson, 2010). The students in this district are mostly African American; we have about two percent of other groups. Yet, we still have a diverse group with in the African American student culture. Diversity refers to differences in persons. It incorporates skin color, gender, age, abilities, economic-status, sexual preferences, religious preferences and language to name a few.
African American male students should learn to identify with their own culture before they can be expected to respect other groups. There is a profound diversity within the African American culture. Because of insufficient grammar/language skills and lack of travel experience our African American youth are English Language learners in their own Nation. We cannot justify nor expect the community to accept and support our failure to educate African American males. When I compare data from the Arkansas Comprehensive Testing Assessment and Accountability Program (ACTAAP) test scores and academic progress in class over the last five years, I find that African American males in this district have not received the encouragement they need to be successful. These students are not aware of the history of cultural racism. Cultural racism is the practice of recognizing the activities and contributions of one racial group in preference to others within a multiracial society (Koppelman, 2013). Black males need to know and understand why their present conditions are as they are. By exposing them to their history, we can help them gain such valuable insight. Without this understanding, they will continue to accept incarceration as a natural condition rather than as the consequence of centuries of racism (Kafele, 2009). It is the responsibility of this district to provide these students with the means to navigate through obstacles and master academic challenges.
Students spend more time at school than any other place that they venture. I foresee a school climate where students are interested in learning. This comes about with motivation and encouragement from administrators, staff, teachers, community patrons and parents. Also students are more productive when they experience success; therefore I envision teachers that model high expectations and reach out to students with total acceptance; we must work to ensure that all students have a sense of importance in the school environment. Some students do not feel valued in their home. The response they receive at school can fill that void and improve their self-esteem; when students feel safe they achieve more in class. Also children lack sufficient physical and emotional support in their homes; we must put agencies in place to help with issues of food supply and heat/air conditioning when needed. Children are experiencing crime in their neighborhood; fears begin to grip their minds leaving little room for academic function. A positive culture inspires optimism and hope; a negative culture promotes cynicism and defeatism (Danielson, 2006). Since the school/community is laced with apathy, poverty, Black-on-Black crime and violence, it is easy to see how the children in the public schools adopt the motto, "none of us will learn."
Over the next five years, we must decrease the number of African American males attending alternative schools. This is not because alternative school is detrimental, but due to the fact that in society there is no reward for not being able to conform to the norm. Lack of respect and outlandish behavior can result in a prison sentence or an early grave in the real world. Young men must learn to control their behavior and respect authority to avoid dire consequences. Alternative schools should service students that need a legitimate alternative. We service students that refuse to participate in class, blatantly disrespect teachers and instigate chaos all day. We will focus on engaging these students in grade-level appropriate, authentic, purposeful curriculum that reflects their interest, culture and academic needs.
Absenteeism is a hindrance to academic achievement. Many students skip school because they feel so unappreciated and cannot demonstrate competence in grade level subject matter. These students need a curriculum that addresses their interest and moves them from underachievers into the arena of successful grade level accomplishments. Students who see themselves in the curriculum will want to attend school; we must provide them with the proper curricular. This is a major issue for third through sixth graders even though attendance is not a profound problem at this age group; parents still have the control to make them go to school in the lower grades. We must draw these younger students into our present so that we can administer the instructions for the strong foundation they need in order to be prepared for upper grade level proficiency. On the other hand, high school students cannot perform well on the Arkansas Comprehensive Testing Assessment and Accountability Program (ACTAAP) unless they are in attendance when instructions are being given. Eleventh grade literacy, tenth grade biology, algebra I, and geometry scores reflect the necessity for increased attendance rates.
Our Black males are struggling to write a single paragraph; we must give them authentic purpose for writing and using correct grammar. For black adolescent males, in order to offset resistance that occurs because of cultural differences and to develop their identities, it is essential to establish culturally responsive instructional practices and infuse the curriculum with culturally relevant materials. (Tatum, 2005)
African American Males need competent male teachers. Poor achievement among our neediest students is the result, at least in part, of a lack of strong, positive black educators in the classrooms. This nation needs to move swiftly to engage more African-American men in teaching. No longer can we simply be OK with black men representing less than 2 percent of our teacher workforce. It is unacceptable (Nicolas, 2014). He continues, "I have also seen the tremendous impact an effective black male educator can have in the classroom. Notice I use the word effective; this is because an effective black male educator can have a more detrimental impact on a school than perhaps a teacher from any demographic."
Our mission is to prepare students for college, careers and life. All district and school personnel are equally responsible for the success of students. In order for us to move high school students from fifty five percent basic to fifty-five percent advanced we must create and implement a shared vision that all of us will support. School security guards, secretaries, nurses, custodians and cafeteria workers are all a viable part of the organization. All these internal patrons will interact with students in a way that reflects acceptance, and respect. It is the responsibility of the Principal to set the tone for the school culture. With support from the principal the teachers will receive professional development that takes the needs of the students into account. Teachers must learn to focus on the emotional, physical, psychological, social and academic needs of the students. They must also learn to reflect on their own personal prejudice and strive to be fair to all students by eliminating inconsistences that hinder the performance of students. There is a requirement of innovation, concern and educational reform to increase the academic performance of our students. The district administration office must support the principals and provide finances, resources and technical support as the schools engage in transforming students from kindergarten to twelfth grade into lifelong readers, learners and American Citizens.
By the end of the 2014-2015 school years the district personnel as well as the local community will be aware of the vision, objectives, mission and other components of the strategic diversity plan. Successful schools are much more than a list of strategies or activities. At their core, each of the "breakthrough" high schools demonstrates a belief that every student in the school can be academically successful (Westerberg, 2009). The district office will contact Mr. John Hoy, Assistant Commissioner Division of Public School Accountability for information on equity monitoring at the school.
Administrators and the stakeholder will have met together to create, distribute and implement the goals and objectives. This will include the community patrons, parents, students, staff and teachers. The plan will be posted on the school web-site, also. School leaders will ensure that teachers have begun professional development and will have already begun to revert to instructional strategies that are proven to ensure academic excellence for the targeted students. The literacy coaches will meet with the K-12 teachers periodically to vertically align the curriculum. During the 2015-2016 school year administrators will monitor this process ensuring that teachers are following the instructional strategies that match the school vision. Teachers will be responsible to participate in professional learning communities that include community patrons to collaborate and share in the planning and implementation of the identified goals. Administrator will work with teachers to clarify problems or misconceptions that they may have encountered. In 2014-2019 the administration and teachers will use the data to identify students and procedures that require special attention including academic, social and emotional growth of the students. In the 2014-2019 school years the administrators will assess title one funds as well as other state funds to plan the expenditures for resources to cover the needs of the district. Individual school will submit their school plans to the Federal Program Director for access to funds to support their programs.
Task Force for School Diversity Plan
(Pseudo names to demonstrate how we will select a task force)
Diversity Strategic Plan
1.1 K-12 teachers will use instructional strategies and curricular that's researched and proven to increase student performance of African American males.
1.2 Staff, teachers, and community patron will exhibit a school culture of safety, acceptance and high expectation for all students.
1.3 Parents will be included in developing and implementing a vision for the school that supports the emotional, social, cultural, and academic needs of the students.
1.4 Teachers will have on going professional development and collaboration that support the vision and mission of the school.
1.5 Incorporate frequent surveying to assess the students' opinion of the school culture
2.1 The cafeteria will provide a nutritious breakfast and invite parents and community
Patrons to serve students.
2.2 Provide weekly incentives for students that come to school every day.
2.3 Allow students to visit the elementary school as peer tutors during the morning hours.
2.4 Modify instructions to allow reasonable success.
2.5 Allow students to use their personal I phones to research in class.
2.6 Conduct bi-weekly recognition of attendance and academic progress.
2.7 Allow students to use their talent such as singing, playing musical instruments, and
3.1 Provide professional on effective classroom management
3.2 Train students to handle conflict resolution
3.3 Provide counseling/medication
3.4 Connect students with police officers as mentors
3.5 Create a culture that encourages parents to visit classrooms
3.6 Arrange for convicts to come in as resource/scared straight tactic
3.7 Arrange for former successful residents to return as a resource speaker
3.8 Model/role play appropriate behavior
Writing/grammar mini lessons.
4.1 Read and write using technology/online portals
4.2 Use culturally appropriate interesting fiction/nonfiction text
4.3 Teach writing/grammar skills in context of literature
5.1 Develop curriculum that reflects the cultural social, emotional, physical, developmental, and Cognitive needs of African American students.
5.2 Raise the bar/rigor to accomplish grade level reading proficiency
5.3 Teach African American history/inventions
5.4 Visit colleges (3-12)
5.5 Keep a personal portfolio of graduate credits (9-12 grades)
5.6 Employ competent African American male teachers
Danielson, C. (2006). Teacher leadership That Strengthens Profession Practice.
Alexandra, VA: ASCD.
Kafele, B. K. (2009). Motivating Black Males to Achieve in School & in Life.
Alexandria, VA: ASCD
Koppelman, K., L. (2014). Understanding Human Differences Multicultural Education for a
Diverse America. (4th ed). Boston: Pearson Education, Inc.
Nicolas, Donald G. (2014). Where are the black male teachers? Education Week, 33(22), 28
Tatum, A. (2005). Teaching Reading to black Adolescent Males. Portland, MA: Stenhouse
Voltz, D. L., Sims, M. J., & Nelson, B. (2010). Connecting Teachers, Students and Standards
Strategies for Success in Diverse and Inclusive Classrooms. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
Westerberg, T. R. (2009). Becoming a Great High School 6 Strategies and 1 Attitude That
Make a Difference. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
ASCD Annual Conference is almost here!
We hope to see you in Los Angeles!
Things to Keep in Mind:
üUse #ASCD14 to tweet during ASCD Annual Conference.
üFor an insider look at the ASCD Annual Conference experience, follow ASCD on Instagram: @officialascd.The Instagram hashtag for conference is also #ASCD14.
üASCD Emerging Leader Program applications are open:Please spread the word at the conference! Applications are open until April 1.
Helpful Links and Information
Check out these sessions with ASCD leaders at the
2014 ASCD Annual Conference and Exhibit Show—@Every Learner: Someday is Now
March 15–17, 2014
Los Angeles Convention Center (LACC)
Los Angeles, Calif.
Friday, March 14
Nicole Clifton, 2009 Emerging Leader (@NicoleClifton1)
8:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m. Pacific time
LACC Room 409B
Saturday, March 15
Matt Mingle, 2011 Emerging Leader (@mmingle1)
Michael Rulon, Professional Interest Community Facilitator(@mikerulon)
8:00–9:30 a.m. Pacific time
LACC, Room 405
Creating a Personalized Learning Climate for Each Child (#1108)
Mary Bellavance(@MaryBellavance), Maine ASCD President
8:00–9:30 a.m. Pacific time
LACC, Room 150C
Recognizing Whole Child School and Community Successes (#1114)
Mary Gunter, Arkansas ASCD
Matt McClure(@digital_divide), Arkansas ASCD
David Griffith, ASCD(@Griffith2020)
8:00–9:30 a.m. Pacific time
LACC, Room 406
Using Problem-Based, Inquiry-Based, Project-Based, and Service Learning (#1135)
Erik Francis, Arizona ASCD Board Member
8:45–9:30 a.m. Pacific time
LACC, Room 502A
Jen Kohan (@jenkohan), Minnesota ASCD Executive Director
1:00–2:30 p.m. Pacific time
LACC, Room 405
Ignite! Teacher Leadership in Five Minutes (#1243)
1:00–2:30 p.m. Pacific time
LACC, Room 153A
In alphabetical order by presenter last name:
Teaching and Learning in a Connected World (#1240)
Steven Anderson, 2012 Emerging Leader(@web20classroom)
1:00–2:30 p.m. Pacific time
LACC, Room 303A
Getting Academic Results by Empowering Teachers and Students (#1321)
Susan Kessler, OYEA Honoree
With Miriam Harrington, April Snodgrass, and Richard Tucker
3:00–4:00 p.m. Pacific time
LACC, Room 303B
Mamzelle Adolphine, Professional Interest Community Facilitator
3:00–4:30 p.m. Pacific time
LACC, Room 405
6:30–9:30 p.m. Pacific time
Trader Vic's L.A. Live
Sunday, March 16
ASCD President Becky Berg(@DrBeckyBerg)
8:00–9:30 a.m. Pacific time
LACC, Room 405
Secondary Response to Intervention: Dispelling Myths (#2110)
Phillip Caposey (@PrincipalPC), 2013 Emerging Leader
8:00–9:30 a.m. Pacific time
LACC, Room 301A
The Whole Child Symposium: Town Hall Discussion (#2114)
Steven Anderson(@web20classroom), 2012 Emerging Leader
Tom Hoerr, Professional Interest Community Facilitator
Sean Slade, ASCD(@SeanTSlade)
Klea Scharberg, ASCD
8:00–9:30 a.m. Pacific time
LACC, Room 502B
Whole Child Policy Across the States (#2120)
Tom Tramaglini (@TomTramaglini),New Jersey ASCD
Kevin Enerson(@Kenerson66), Whole Child Network of Schools
Melissa Mellor, ASCD
8:00–9:30 a.m. Pacific time
LACC, Room 409
Vicky Ayam, 2011 Emerging Leader
1:00–2:30 p.m. Pacific time
LACC, Room 405
Thinking Outside the Contractual Box: Getting More Bang for Your Buck (#2210)
Quintin Shepherd(@D69Super), Illinois ASCD President-Elect
WithMegan Aseltine, Eric Miller, and Laura Vladika
1:00–2:30 p.m. Pacific time
LACC, Room 515B
Using Resiliency to Discover and Transform Equity for Every Learner (#2214)
Harriett Arnold, Student Chapter Faculty Advisor and Professional Interest Community Facilitator
1:00–2:30 p.m. Pacific time
LACC, Room 306A
Problem-Based Learning in the Technology Classroom (#2219)
Steven Anderson, 2012 Emerging Leader(@web20classroom)
1:00–2:30 p.m. Pacific time
LACC, Room 411
When Do You Sleep? Surviving Your First Year as Principal (#2225)
Susan Kessler, OYEA Honoree
WithApril Snodgrass and Andrew Davis
1:00–2:30 p.m. Pacific time
LACC, Room 409
Bethany Bernasconi, 2013 Emerging Leader(@bernasconi_edu)
Dawn Chan, 2012 Emerging Leader(@dawnchan)
Mary Beth Hertz, 2013 Emerging Leader(@mbteach)
3:00 – 4:30 p.m. Pacific time
LACC, Room 405
Building Public Support for Your School (#2311)
Mark Pinder, 2013 Vision in Action Winner
Melany Stowe, 2013 Emerging Leader (@MelanyStowe)
David Griffith, ASCD(@Griffith2020)
Melissa Mellor, ASCD
3:00 – 4:30 p.m. Pacific time
LACC, Room 403B
Models of Intelligence: Beliefs Frame Actions (#2317)
Thomas Hoerr, Professional Interest Community Facilitator
3:00–4:30 p.m. Pacific time
LACC, Room 515B
High-Tech Critical Thinking (#2328)
Rebecca Stobaugh, ASCD Student Chapter Faculty Advisor
3:00–4:00 p.m. Pacific time
LACC, Room 501A
@everyeducator: Teacher Growth for Student Growth (#2331)
Jessica Bohn, 2012 Emerging Leader (@JessicaBohn)
Alina Davis, 2010 Emerging Leader(@AlinaDavis)
3:00–4:00 p.m. Pacific time
LACC, Room 304B
Five Ways to Be a Connected Educator (#2340)
Steven Anderson, 2012 Emerging Leader (@web20classroom)
With Mark Barnes, Nicholas Provenzano, Kim Sivik, Kristen Swanson, and Tom Whitby
3:00–4:00 p.m. Pacific time
LACC, Room 408B
ASCD Annual Meeting
3:00–4:00 p.m. Pacific time
LACC, Room 501BC
Monday, March 17
Allison Rodman, 2013 Emerging Leader(@thelearningloop)
Krista Rundell, 2012 Emerging Leader (@klrundell)
8:00–9:30 a.m. Pacific time
LACC, Room 405
Teaching Digital Citizenship: Design Curriculum for Teachers and Students (#3105)
Jill Thompson(@Edu_Thompson), 2013 Emerging Leader
With Bill Sheskey
8:00–9:30 a.m. Pacific time
LACC, Room 152
Five Ways to Be a Connected Educator (#3119)
Steven Anderson, 2012 Emerging Leader(@web20classroom)
With Mark Barnes, Nicholas Provenzano, Kim Sivik, Kristen Swanson, and Tom Whitby
8:00–9:00 a.m. Pacific time
LACC, Room 409
2014 Vision in Action: ASCD's Whole Child Award Winners
Sean Slade, ASCD(@SeanTSlade)
Klea Scharberg, ASCD
8:00–9:00 a.m. Pacific time
LACC, Room 407
Ashanti Foster, 2013 Emerging Leader(@NBCTeacherMommy)
10:00–11:30 a.m. Pacific time
LACC, Room 405
Steven Anderson, 2012 Emerging Leader(@web20classroom)
Janet Tran, 2013 Emerging Leader(@JanetAPLC)
1:00–2:30 p.m. Pacific time
LACC, Room 405
How PLCs Can Cultivate Effective Interventions to Support Every Learner (#3314)
Michael Rulon (@mikerulon), Professional Interest Community Facilitator
Lori Stollar (@ljstollar), Pennsylvania ASCD President-Elect
1:00–3:00 p.m. Pacific time
LACC, Room 511AB
Measuring Higher-Order Thinking and Depth of Knowledge (#3329)
Erik Francis, Arizona ASCD Board Member
1:00–3:00 p.m. Pacific time
LACC, Room 305
There's never enough time to blog and reblog all of the interesting resources we find during the week, so we decided to start a Best of the Week List where we share all of the education-related blogs, articles, apps and resources we come across every week.
Classroom Management
Reading and Language Arts
Technology in the Classroom
Random Links
Originally posted at Curriculum21.com/blog
Follow Mike on Twitter: @fisher1000
Digital Learning Strategies now available from the ASCD Store
This is the first in an ongoing series of posts inspired by How I Work, a bi-weekly series on one of our favorite sites, Lifehacker. As educators, we like to know how other educators work, how they live, and how they play, so every other week we'll be featuring a new interview with a new teacher. This week, we'll hear from Marc Hamlin, an English Language Arts teacher from West Greenwich, Rhode Island.
Location: Exeter- West Greenwich Regional Senior High School, West Greenwich, RI 02817
Desired location: Eventually, I want to move on to teaching at a local community college. I want to "age with the profession." I can't say I'll have the same relevance or world view of a 15 or 16 year-old when I'm in my late 50s-early 60s.
Current work title (administrator/teacher/school technologist, etc.) Also, what grade do you teach?: It's interesting. I taught ELA at my school for the first 8 years of my career. Then, I had an opportunity to teach educational technology for 10 years. It was fun, but 10 years of teaching in "The Bunker" (room with no windows) can really warp your perception of reality. Then I went back to my first love, ELA, and here I am, but with a strong technology skillset. I'm all about integrating technology into lessons to improve learning.
Area of expertise (subjects you teach or have an interest in): ELA, computer technology, web design, computer networking and network design, relational database management systems (RDBMS) with languages like MySQL.
Do you have a specific long-term career goal?: Yes, I want to start creating instructional videos on YouTube. I really think it's now, not the future.
Languages you have studied or currently speak: Well, It's funny. On my father's side, they came from France and Belgium. On my mother's side, they came from French-speaking Canada (Quebec). But the language was taken out of them when they went to school (My mother spoke French until she went to school.) They were told not to speak French at home. It was all about assimilation, then.
As a consequence, I speak the French I learned in French class- "Un petit peu." I feel I've lost a good deal of my cultural heritage as a result. When I look at Hispanic students, I think, "Yes, learn English, but don't ever stop speaking your language. Once you lose that, you lose your cultural treasures."
The project you're most proud of: The "Sweded Video Project" is my very favorite. Inspired by the Jack Black/Danny Glover/Mos Def film, "Be Kind, Rewind," the project centers around creating stories (or adapting stories read during the semester) to a five-minute "short attention-span" theater.
Imagine breaking down Moby Dick to 5 minutes. It's breathtaking. It's not merely about how we tell stories, but why, after all these thousands of years, we still gather around an electric campfire to hear and tell each other stories. And unlike other group projects, each student has a clearly defined job, with a "deliverable" at the end of the process. That part is 70% of the project grade. The video is only 25%. They make a movie poster using Photoshop to promote their movie- 5%. We have a large-format printer that allows us to print to poster size. We put these posters up in the hallway to promote their videos. Then, we roll out a red carpet at "premiere time" and "movie day" becomes a party, a human coming-together. I'd like Arne Duncan to put that through his testing regime and see what he comes up with.
Favorite technology gadget for the classroom: I'm a big fan of BYOD (bring your own device). As long as your platform isn't too esoteric, most devices can play nice-nice with web 2.0 tools out there. I'm now exploring a site called exittix.com to facilitate some formative assessment strategies in my classroom, but we're not 1:1 yet. Until then, 5-up (hold up five fingers, students self-assess their competency before and after a lesson) will have to suffice.
And I'd be crazy not to mention the impact Edmodo.com has had on my classroom. Parents, students both know what is expected of them, and when. Not to mention the fact that I don't lose out to snow days anymore. And it's a place for students to distill what they think about a work or a topic before they are asked to comment, at night, in a thread.
Next conference/professional-development event you're planning to give or attend: I'll be attending something called "Writing Strategies to meet CCSS" which is supposed to be good. I'm going with my department on 3/17. If it doesn't work out, well, there's an Irish bar across the street from the conference site. So after the conference, I may have to go in there for a debriefing.
How many hours per day do you usually work?: As a teacher of ELA, I often work 10 hours per day. At 48, I can't work as long or as late into the night as I used to. When I first started, I'd be up until 12, 1 am…Now I have rules for myself. Like, "Don't bring home more than you can evaluate in one night." Otherwise, that "teacher bag" can become something of a nemesis.
Are you an early-riser or a night-owl?: It's also seasonal, and generational. Used to be a major night owl back in my younger days. Hated mornings. Now, I'm in bed by 9:30-10 p.m. because I'm up at 5:30 for work. I like to get in early- 6:30 or so, plan, think, and pray that God gives me the wisdom and the words to help every single kid I encounter. I pray for certain students who I know are in turmoil. And I pray for good cycling weather.
Do you have any pets or kids (names and ages)?: I have one kid. She's black, has four legs, never changes clothes, and she's an obedience school dropout, but I love my dog Holly, a black lab-weimaraner mix.
Next city/country you want to visit: I'm headed to England and Scotland in April with a group of students on an EF Educational Tour. Just got back from Paris, France in November (Thanksgiving). Paris blew my mind. It's a jaw-droppingly gorgeous city.
Favorite vacation place: It's simple enough, but hard to get there (from the northeast, USA)- Maui, Hawaii. Went there a few years ago and did not want to come home. Don't ever go there during February break. It will seriously mess you up for life. It really is paradise on earth. Why anyone would want to live anywhere else is beyond me.
Favorite book: Gabriel Garcia Marquez' "One Hundred Years of Solitude" is my all-time favorite. You hear about "Macondo" and the house of mirrors and you wonder what is going on, and why all these people in the novel have the same names over the generations, and then, in about the last 50 to 100 pages, it hits you, and you can't put the novel down until you're finished. And then your mind explodes with reverence for Garcia Marquez's genius.
Favorite song: Right now, Joe Pug's "Hymn 101." He's picked up Dylan's crown, shined it up, and it fits.
Do you have a Twitter account we can follow you on?: I have a twitter account: @mrhamlinewg but because Twitter is blocked in our school (I'm behind the Iron Curtain) I don't use it very often. Yeah, I need to get writing.
Well, if you watched the Academy Awards last week, you witnessed the global impact that social media has in the world. Ellen DeGeneres was able to take a picture of a group of actors that, in the first half hour of it being posted, was re-tweeted 700,000 times, which temporarily knocked Twitter off the Internet. It has now become the number one tweet of all time. That is one example of the effect that social media is continuing to have in countries around the world. We should not lose sight of the fact that many, many people were following the Oscar show hashtag to share the experience of the program with others.
Many actors are using social media to connect with fans. The same fans, which a generation ago resorted to fan mail to connect with their idols, now have an opportunity to connect in real life through social media. This is not an opportunity that is ignored by the entertainment industry. TV fans are now being continually bombarded with hashtags to follow shows. The news business is also asking people to follow and exchange information through hashtags. This is creating more interactive involvement with TV. Not since Winky Dink and You, where Winky Dink, an animated character, had us draw with crayons on a plastic sheet placed over a TV screen in the 50's, have we seen such interaction. We traced lines placed on the magic screen one at a time, until we had a bridge drawn for Winky Dink to cross and escape danger. It was way ahead of its time. It was however interactive and a definite attention-grabber.
What does any of this have to do with education? The idea that social media gives us a platform to send out information and have people interact with it, or just digest it, would seem to be an idea that would be snapped up and embraced by educators. They are the very people who make a living trying to get folks to get information and interact with it, or just digest it. We shouldn't need a magical plastic screen to connect the lines in order to build a bridge for educators to reach this idea.
Ellen DeGeneres's picture is small potatoes to what educators can put out. Educators have access to real sources. In addition to pictures they have: Websites, Documents, Blog posts, Videos, Podcasts, webinars, articles, interviews, and maybe even some sensible worksheets to share. To share with whom you may ask. To share with each other, I would answer. Imagine if every teacher shared just one of their best sources with other educators, who in turn could tweet them out to the tune of 700,000 tweets in a half hour. Everyone would benefit. The idea here is to get educators familiar with the concept of connectedness and its possibilities, so that getting comfortable with social media itself becomes less of an obstacle.
Social Media is here to stay. Its form may change, and certainly the applications we use will not remain the same, but the idea of openly exchanging information in whatever forms it is produced is not going away. As educators we can use it or lose it. If we don't start to understand and use this technology soon, we will lose the opportunity to harness it, because we will be irrelevant. We don't need social media to teach, as much as we need it to learn. It is a cornucopia of information. We can tailor that information to personalize our learning. This is the way of today's world. For the scholar, the tomes are no longer stored in the monasteries, they reside on the Internet, and collectively, if we all share that which we know, we will all benefit. Collectively we are smarter than we are individually. That is the basis of collaborative learning. It is no longer a face-to-face endeavor limited in time and space. It happens anywhere, and anytime through the use of technology. Technology is the game-changer. As educated individuals, how can we ignore the possibilities?
Becoming a connected educator requires the use of 21st Century skills. This should not come as a surprise 14 years into that Century. Educators need to be digitally literate. We do not need educators who loudly proclaim to not get it when it comes to computers. We would not tolerate an educator in the 19th and 20th Centuries to loudly proclaim to not get it when it comes to reading books. This Century requires a new literacy and there is less and less room for illiterate educators to work alongside those who constantly strive to remain relevant. To better educate our kids we need to better educate their educators.
Maybe educators should do a Selfie with their class behind them in the picture. These are the faces of kids that this educator leaves an impression on each and every day. They are the educator's charges. Are they the faces of kids who got from that teacher the best that that teacher had to offer. Does what that teacher offered meet the needs of what those kids will have to know in their world in order to live, thrive, and compete? What's in a Selfie?
Many educational scholars and practitioners, including me, have written extensively about teaching students from underserved populations. The focus of this work has included has included students living in poverty, from diverse cultural and racial experiences, and who are English learners. These are made more relevant by an ever-increasing population of students and families living in poverty, the significant rate of school absenteeism among our nation's poor, and an increase in racial, ethnic, and linguistic diversity among the nation's populace. While it's critical to understand underserved student populations, it is especially important to look at the type of language and literacy that are needed to perform successfully in school. Some students come to school with a deep foundation in the language system that is used in school while increasing numbers do not. These differences represent what many refer to as the achievement gap. We might think of it as an academic language gap between students who come to school with this foundational language and those who must learn it while simultaneously attending school.
In the United States, the federal definition of the abilities that an English learner must obtain to be considered proficient in English sheds some light on the type of language and literacy that is needed by ALL of the nation's students. It includes the following:
(i) the ability to meet the State's proficient level of achievement on State assessments;
(ii) the ability to successfully achieve in classrooms where the language of instruction is English; and
(iii) the opportunity to participate fully in society (U.S. Department of Education, 2004).
An important characteristic of the federal definition is that students must be highly fluent and competent in the language that is used in school and across all subject matters to be successful in it. To remedy the differences between students who carry academic language like a literacy suitcase wherever they go (in school, at home, and elsewhere) and students who are learning academic language while simultaneously attending school, we must intentionally transform the ways in which we build programming, policies and practices for the nation's students (Zacarian, 2013).
To do this calls for a four-pronged literacy framework (Zacarian, 2013) in which we understand academic language learning as a
(1) a sociocultural process that must be grounded in our students and their families' personal, social, cultural, and world experiences;
(2) a developmental process that calls for understanding the literacy levels of each of our students and targeting instruction a little bit beyond that level so that it is obtainable and reachable,
(3) an academic process that is built on our students' prior learning experiences and where the learning goals are made explicit; and
(4) a cognitive process in which higher-order thinking skills are intentionally taught and practiced.
We also have to understand that each of the four prongs is akin to an electric outlet in which all of the prongs must be plugged in for learning to occur. When we do this, we have a much better chance for closing the achievement gap and better ensuring that our students can flourish in school and beyond (Zacarian, 2013).
This article should be referenced as: Zacarian, D. (2014). Understanding the achievement gap as an academic language gap. zacarianconsulting.com. It has been drawn from from Zacarian (2013) Mastering academic language: a framework for supporting student achievement.
We are discussing the history of education in one of my courses and thus exploring teaching philosophies (such as progressivism, essentialism, existentialism, etc.). As part of our discussion, I asked the students to identify advantages and disadvantages of each philosophy. A student shared that one drawback for using real world conflicts (the social reconstruction philosophy), was that it was "uncomfortable". When probed further, it was determined that fear, anger, or sadness could result when discussing controversial current events and thus hinder the learning process for students. For instance, it may be frightening for students to discuss how the homicide rate for the first two months of 2014 (in some states) is slowly approaching the total homicide rate for the entire year 2013. Similarly it may be alarming for students to acknowledge the news story of how the "knock-out" game (an assault act that may end in death) targets unsuspecting pedestrians for no rhyme or reason.
I agree that discussing current events has its challenges, but I could not deny my discomfort with my student's "uncomfortableness". Maybe omitting real life events from classroom discussions is the best thing to do in terms of safeguarding student's feelings?
I disagree.
I tend to think that it is within these "uncomfortable" topics that teachable moments are made. I wish to help students learn from the uncomfortable current events that surround them every day. For instance, the 'Stand Your Ground' law (the right to defend oneself during times of conflict) has been in the news after two separate conflicts resulted in the death of African American teen boys. In response to the two cases, strong emotions about racial relations and the legal system have ensued. The following curriculum ideas illustrate 9 classroom activities that may help students use the highly publicized law to reflect on themes such as effective communication, conflict resolution, and sensitivity to differences. Although the activities were developed with the 'Stand your Ground' law in mind, they can be adopted for use with any current event:
1. Discuss the term "threat". Explore the different types of threats (physical and psychological) that students may hear. Debate various mechanisms to address threats such as bully awareness strategies. Websites such as bullyhelp.org and stopbullying.gov are great resources for this.
2. Ask students to journal about consequences that may ensue from defending oneself such as:
a. Physical consequences
b. Emotional consequences
c. Short-term consequences
d. Long-term consequences
3. Encourage the students to visit websites that focus on conflict resolution approaches and present their findings to the class. The National Crime Prevention Council offers great resources for this.
4. Invite the students to share funny videos (they can search online using Youtube or Vine) regarding problem solving strategies that are imaginative and outside of the box.
5. Hold a contest for students to find the best quote that illustrates reconciling differences.
6. Request students bring in song lyrics (or play a clean excerpt from the song) that emphasize themes in negotiation, compromise, or appropriately communication of differences.
7. Ask students to read, write, or respond to blogs that highlight uncomfortable conversations about conflict management. Invite teachers to share their experiences for how they learn (blogs, or professional development) to use current events within their curriculum.
8. Offer incentives for students to get involved in conflict resolution on a local level. Assist students in contacting the local police office or the local legislative office to gain further education regarding local rules and policies for those engaged in conflict.
9. Help students get involved in conflict resolution outside of their community. Assist students in a letter writing campaign to support the families of individuals that were unable to successfully defend themselves in times of conflict.
*Please note that this article was originally posted on teachersnet.gazette Vol. 11 No. 3
As an aspiring leader, I have thought often about who to look to for inspiration. I was told early on that an aspiring leader always has to have an example to emulate. There are many leadership examples that an educator can follow, but I have recently been following the leadership of Pope Francis. He has come into the position of Pope and helped to bring a new sense of excitement and possibility to an ancient institution.
As a leader in the public school system, an institution that is prone to tradition and slow to change, I am often frustrated by what I cannot seem to do. In looking for inspiration to overcome my frustration, Pope Francis provides a good example of what a leader can do within an organization. He has not made any radical changes since becoming pope, but his demeanor, his humility, and his willingness to embrace others has energized many Catholics. This is a good reminder of what a leader can do to bring change when dramatic action may not be possible.
In all of my reading about him, I found that there were three pieces of leadership advice that I think are especially applicable to any educational leader
This belief about leadership is especially important in the classroom. A leader must first know themself: what they can accept, what they must challenge, what they can are willing to risk everything for. It is only then that they can answer the situations that arise. In education, a leader is constantly asked to compromise, and if they do not know themself, they will struggle to know when to stop.
More importantly, if a leader tries to be something they are not, it will come across as inauthentic. Many times we underestimate the abilities of others (especially our students) to see through our act and truly know who we are. The challenges of working in a school are real and if a leader does not lead from a place that is their own, they will not be able to sustain the energy needed to succeed. They will back down, they will doubt, and they will burn out. We must be first confident in who we are before we can be confident in what we believe and what we do.
To lead people, they need to know that you understand their situation and put their needs ahead of your own. They need to know that you are part of the struggle and that you will be there for them throughout. If people believe that you are selfish or do not understand where they are coming from, they will not follow you. They may do what you tell them to do, because you are an authority figure, but you will not have authority.
This further connects to how decisions about leadership should be made within our schools. Leaders should have applicable experience working closely with our communities. This is the most important way to build critical early support and credibility as we look to improve our schools. Leaders must be creditable along with being knowledgable.
When leading change, leaders wish to seem like they have all of the answers. In the classroom, having all of the answers is the way to quickly gain authority with students. The reality is that no leader or teacher knows everything, and to portray that to those that we lead will not support growth in our classroom or our schools. If students are to grow and schools are to change, people must see that learning is part of the process at all levels. Leaders must model the behaviors that they want. In the classroom, students must know that even the teacher has to look up an answer and that is acceptable and encouraged. By admitting frailties, but not allowing them to limit their actions, leader demonstrate that everyone can succeed in spite of their limitations.
Often what we want is revolutionary change. We want to remake an institution instantly to address the issues that we see. As with any institution, change is slow, reform is may be stifled and instantaneous revolutions might be anything but instant and revolutionary. Yet while revolution may be far off, revitalization can happen today. As I look at what Pope Francis has done, I see a leader that knows his limitations, but still moves forward, and that is often what we must recognize in our schools. While we may be limited, we are far from stopped.
Works Cited:
Huppke, R. (2013, Nov 04). Lessons in leadership from pope francis. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved from http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-11-04/business/ct-biz-1104-work-advice-huppke-20131104_1_leadership-style-first-jesuit-pope-jorge-mario-bergoglio
After reading several of Rafe Esquith's books, I have come to the conclusion that not only is he a very good teacher, but he is very wise. He is able to communicate many "truths" about educating children that only someone with lots of experience and thoughtfulness can do. And while you may not agree with everything he says, he will certain get you thinking about teaching, learning, children, schools, and the community at large.
His latest book, Real Talk for Real Teachers: Advice for Teachers from Rookies to Veterans: 'No Retreat, No Surrender!'(2013: Penguin Books) contains a wealth of ideas, comments, and "wisdom" from a veteran teacher. The book is separated into sections for new teachers, teachers who have been teaching for several years, and even "master" teachers, but I think that everyone who is teaching at any level can profit from his insights in all three categories. He talks about things that mostly get ignored in the educational literature – bad days, first days, good routines, classroom management, classroom disasters, values to live by in the classroom, how to handle outside pressures and disagreeable people, testing and assessment, taking care of yourself, homework, the differences among kids and teachers, and many others.
Note that this book is not a how-to cookbook of ideas to improve teaching. While many of the thoughtful comments in the book may profoundly change teachers' ways of thinking about their schools and classrooms, you will not find specific instructional strategies that work better than others, or even specific ideas about how to assess children. But many will come away with a better understanding of their own teaching, some guidance as to how to make teaching better for kids, and worthwhile ideas as to how to survive in a teaching environment.
In fact, everyone involved with education, including politicians and administrators who make laws and policy regarding education, should read the book.
The book is deep and rich, with many ideas, insights, and examples, and it is important to read it as a whole. But to give you a flavor of the Esquith's views, below are a few short quotes from some of the chapters in the book. Note that some quotes might be out of a context, so you might find that they will read differently in the book.
I hope that they inspire you to read the book and consider his ideas for your classroom, school, or district.
Chapter 2: First things first
p. 42 …the truth is, in my class, Day 1 looks a lot like day 91. The kids will not grasp your program on Day 1. Introduce it and get to work.
[Note: This chapter has an excellent discussion of his philosophy of teaching and the rules and expectations he lays out for his students on the first day and beyond].
Chapter 4: An inside job:
p. 60-61 [In terms of classroom management and control]: My goal is to teach…children a set of values that they internalize. I want them to work hard in the class not because they fear a consequence but because they enjoy the work and also because they believe that good behavior is the right thing to do.
Chapter 8- Even the devil can quote scripture for his purpose
p. 106 –The reasonable desire to hold students and teachers accountable for what is being learned in school has snowballed into an avalanche of examinations that are hurting children and depriving them of a meaningful education…
p. 107 I have chosen a[n assessment] middle path. I consistently assess my students' work and have no need for the exams being thrown at the kids by the school district and state. I fantasize about starting a bonfire with those infamous testing booklets that stimulate a groan from my students faster than the bell made Pavlov's dog drool.
Chapter 11 – Keeping it real
p. 139 - Make sure the children make the connection between the lessons they are learning and how they will apply them in real life. Have the kids explain the connections rather than listen to you.
Chapter 14. Leave some children behind
p. 160 We have created situations where children do not understand that actions have consequences. School systems, under fire from all corners, have become desperate to please everyone. In doing so, they hurt the very children they are supposed to be helping.
Chapter 15 – Eyes wide open
p. 171 The unending problems and hurdles placed in front of a classroom teacher guarantee that you will not be able to help and reach every child to the degree you would like.
Chapter 18 Thomas Jefferson's big mistake
p. 206 All students are not created equal, nor are they the same. When it is impossible to create individual assignments for the students, try to create assignments where one size does not fit all.
Chapter 21 One of a kind
p. 230 Pick something that you love to do and create a project with your students that will frame the entire year. Whether the students make quilts, become Scrabble experts or learn to surf, a special project will make all parts of your day better.
Chapter 22 All for one and one for all
p. 245 As you grow as a teacher, ask for lots of help…We can all use assistance.
Chapter 23 Getting better all the time
p. 252 Veteran teachers do not have to be stuck in a rut. Teaching the same lesson each year is not the same lesson if improvements are made.
Chapter 25 Stairway to heaven
This chapter deals with three ways for veteran teachers to stay "revved up and ready to go": stay in physical shape (physical stamina); have a good social life (social stamina); deal with the emotional toll that the job takes (emotional rescue).
Elliott Seif is a long time educator, Understanding by Design trainer, author, consultant, and former Professor of Education at Temple University. Additional blogs can be found on ASCD Edge at http://bit.ly/1kPsxBx. If you are interested in further examining ways to improve teaching and learning and help to prepare students to live in a 21st century world, go to: www.era3learning.org
Will you be attending ASCD's 69th Annual Conference and Exhibit Show next week in Los Angeles? We're thrilled to have you and I want to personally invite you to Trader Vic's LA Live Saturday evening for the #ASCD14 Tiki Tweet Up sponsored by Herff Jones Nystrom.
Stop by Trader Vic's Saturday evening between 6:30 and 9:30 for a "lei'd back" time complete with great company and complimentary appetizers. A tweet up is an in-person meet up of Twitter users and at the #ASCD14 Tiki Tweet Up you can connect with fellow @ASCD followers. Even if you are not active on Twitter, we encourage you to stop by and network with other educators.
Make sure to RSVP on Facebook at http://www.ascd.org/ascd14tweetup today. You can also view the #ASCD14 Tiki Tweet Up video on ASCD's YouTube channel. See you there!
In a recent post, Personalizing Professional Development, I shared our plan to personalize an upcoming professional development day by having teachers indicate which target goal they wanted to focus on and what activities they would like to engage in to further their learning outcomes in that area. The experience proved largely successful and respectful of teacher autonomy and specialization. When we anonymously surveyed teachers to obtain their feedback, we were able to reflect on the effectiveness of the day and were even able to learn more about our individual team members. Here's what we learned…
100% of teachers found the experience at least as enjoyable or more enjoyable than a more traditional professional development experience, with 85% of teachers reporting a more enjoyable experience. Many expressed gratitude for the ability to customize the day with comments such as this one: "Thank you so much for the opportunity to tailor the PD to our individual goals. The time allowed me to really focus and make progress on the goals I set earlier this year. It felt positive and productive."
100% of teachers found the experience at least as valuable or more valuable than a more traditional PD day, with 78% of teachers indicating a more valuable outcome.
Preparation was key for the greatest outcome. One teacher shared the benefit of pre-planning, "I feel the planning for the day went well. We were able to meet prior to our trip off campus, allowing us to set goals for the day. We also met after the experience to discuss the experience and work on putting a plan in action" while another pointed to the need for more pto maximize the experience, "The only change to our experience could have been a little (30-minutes) pre-planning so we could have hit the ground running."
Some teachers indicated the value of both types of experiences in reflections such as, "The reason I chose "about the same" is I think our PD's this year have been very good!" A few even suggested that having an option of a more traditional workshop as a learning path on a choice-based day would be helpful "in case plans fall through" or simply because they enjoy shared learning, "It would have been nice to have one topic/ article to discuss and learn together as a team.
As an leadership team, we are very grateful for the reflective feedback. It was clear that teachers put in a great deal of thought into their responses, and we plan on incorporating some of the great ideas into our next professional development day.
I'm inspired to continue searching for innovative, personalized approaches to professional development. It seems that the more validated people feel in their professional endeavors and the more opportunity they have to engage in meaningful, passion-based learning, the more invigorated about their profession they feel. For teachers, as winter endures and the year grows longer, energy is especially precious!
Much Ado About Nothing is a comedic play by William Shakespeare that chronicles two pairs of lovers: Benedick and Beatrice (the main couple), and Claudio and Hero (the secondary couple). By means of "nothing" (which sounds the same as "noting," and which is gossip, rumor, and overhearing), Benedick and Beatrice are tricked into confessing their love for each other, and Claudio is tricked into rejecting Hero at the altar on the erroneous belief that she has been unfaithful. At the end, Benedick and Beatrice join forces to set things right, and the others join in a dance celebrating the marriages of the two couples. (Much Ado About Nothing. Captured from Wikipedia. February 28, 2014.)
What is currently taking place across the United States regarding the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), Much Ado About Something, does not bring to mind a comedy; rather, it brings to mind a tragedy. Before I continue, I must state that my post is not an "I'm on this side or I'm on that side" commentary. It is simply a personal and professional reflection based on working intimately with the CCSS and scores of teachers K-12 across this country and overseas coupled with what I have observed regarding those who are making "much ado". My hope is that I mirror Benedick and Beatrice's desire to set things right.
Whether it be politicians, parents, or people in educational circles commenting, I most-often hear them not making comments about the standards themselves – the basic, no-frills standard statements that convey what students need to know and be able to do. For example, let's take a Reading Literature standard for Grade 7:
CCSS.RL.7.7 Compare and contrast a written story, drama, or poem to its audio, filmed, staged, or multimedia version, analyzing the effects of techniques unique to each medium (e.g., lighting, sound, color, or camera focus and angles in a film).
This standard, here as it appears in the CCSS ELA Progressive Continuums App I created to aid teachers in collaboratively designing systemic curriculum that uses italic font to represent learning from a previous grade or grades and boldfaced text to indicate new learning in a grade, speaks directly to 21st-century (modern) learners needing to not only become literary literate, but media literate as well, as my colleague, Heidi Hayes Jacobs, promotes in her new book, Mastering Media Literacy (Solution Tree, 2013).
Before one can compare and contrast, one must know these two literacy forms as stand alones, which generates interesting conversations with teachers I work with as we develop content and skills because they were not taught media literacy when they were growing up (even younger teachers). Our conversations usually result in the seventh-grade teachers realizing they need to become deep learners themselves to best design content and skills associated with media literacy. And, as you can visually see represented in the standard above, comparing and contrasting written works to media is in italics, which means this process and learning about media-based versions has been learned in at least one previous grade (actually, starts in Grade 4 and is expanded on in Grades 5 and 6). Therefore, not only do seventh-grade teachers say they need media-literacy professional development, but fourth, fifth, and sixth grade teachers share they want to be included as well.
Common Core State Standard RL.7.7 is not saying specifically what must be read, what must be watched, or what the focus must be when read and watched, which is what I find many unhappy-with-the-CCSS commentators are up in arms over (excuse the film pun). While myriad companies and non-profits have developed recommended reading/media lists, units of study, and lesson plans that "are align to" the CCSS, these resources are not the standards. These aligned documents, programs, textbooks, etc., are how tos (instruction and assessments) based on someone or some group's interpretation of the standards. For example, based on this standard, groups can have a wildly different take on what is an appropriate text versus movie/staged production for seventh graders – one group choosing a very liberal text and film and another group select a very conservative text and staged production.
Regardless of the selections, it is not the standard that is making a selection, human beings are. If studied closely, standard RL.7.7 is asking students to be critical thinkers and reason deeply regarding the nuances in a selected text and audio-visual representation, which is exactly what 21st-century students need to be doing – critically thinking and problem solving as well as reasoning and providing text and media evidence for their claims (e.g., requirements also found in standards RL._.1, RI._.1, W._.1). And, if we are truly trying to engage learners and wanting them to own their own learning, how about allowing students to select the text and film or staged production they will analyze?
What I often find interesting is that if you ask someone who is knocking the CCSS (let's say in reference to a unit of study that is for some reason "inappropriate") to tell you specifically what standard or standards he or she does not like (e.g., W.7.1a. Introduce claim(s), acknowledge alternate or opposing claims, and organize the reasons and evidence logically.), the person will hem and haw and can't state the standard. And, when shown the aligned standard he or she most often comments that the standard is fine, it is the reading or film selection, the activity, or assessment item or task that is not liked. Evidence once again that it is not the standards themselves that is truly the concern.
With this said, I need to make one comment at this juncture: the CCSS are not perfect. There are definitely some flawed standard statements, but the flaws are minimal when compared to the total number of CCSS K-12.
The bashing or knocking of the CCSS, which is getting louder in some states with each passing month, is frustrating to me as a curriculum-design consultant who has worked extensively with the CCSS since they were in draft form and officially adopted in 2010. I know the standards inside and out from Kindergarten to Grade 12. I have spent hundreds of hours of meaningful conversations with teachers concerning the vertically articulated standards. These teachers care passionately about their students' learning as they develop collaborative, systemic curriculum.
My passion and work has been, and will continue to be, dedicated to aiding teachers in designing curriculum maps with the students' best interests in mind. The CCSS are our curriculum-design building "codes", much as an architect uses codes to design blueprints, which Heidi Hayes Jacobs, Jay McTighe, and others have used as an analogy for many years. For the first time ever the largest number of independent United States have chosen to have the same building codes. This does not mean that each state, district, or school has to build the exact same home – one can choose to design a modern two-story, another a log cabin, another a green home, and another a ranch-style hacienda. The point here is that the infrastructure of the home design remains the same regardless of where the home is built. I grew up in the military and lived around the world before I was 15 years old. Today, given our ever-growing mobile society, chances of having a similar (and thankfully not exact) blueprint-based curriculum for a K-12 education is better than it ever was when I was in my formative years.
Academic standards are not the curriculum (Concept-based curriculum and instruction for the thinking classroom. Erickson. Sage, 2007. p.48). I whole-heartedly believe this is true. And while it absolutely takes time and commitment to develop a worthwhile systemic curriculum (oftentimes two to three years to fully develop and implement), I remind myself and others that curriculum mapping is a verb and the deep conversations and collaborations across grade levels immediately impact student in positive ways through teachers who are reconsidering the learning, teaching, and assessments while embracing what is new in the CCSS content and process standards. This immediate and on-going process validates why I have been involved in this specific field of work for over 15 years. Designing CCSS-based curriculum involves a two-phase process: studying and breaking apart the standards systemically to first develop learning based solely on what the standards (and critical ancillary documents, such as the CCSS Math Progressions) explicitly and implicitly require; and secondly, develop meaningful units of study that combine the learning, teaching, and assessment tasks based on a current program or encouraging teachers to create their own program.
Well, I may have not set things right, but hopefully a little bit right, in that it is not the CCSS themselves that are the problem; instead, it is CCSS-based interpretations made in the form of instructional choices and assessment practices, as well as one area I chose not to get into here: teacher evaluations.
As I previously mentioned, I will continue to work diligently with districts and schools who have a like passion – looking collaboratively and critically at the CCSS and systemically designing curriculum that aids their students in experiencing meaningful learning journeys K-12+.
(reprenting from Vicki's Rethinking Education blog)
APPR has created a tremendous amount of change in our districts and buildings. It has also increased the amount of work principals have to do on a daily basis, let alone the amount of stress. Staying positive is key to the success and survival of these demands. As a 13 year administrative veteran, here are some top tens I would like to share (In no particular order!)
1. Keep Your Door Open and Be Visible: Your staff, students and parents need to see you as the leader and you need to be accessible. Keep your door open, listen, listen, and listen even more. Give encouragement to your staff who are working hard to embrace a new curriculum and create engaging lessons for students. Be in their classroom, the hallways, the lunch room and the playground. Greet the buses and parents in the morning. Get on the announcements daily and say the pledge, your school pledge and your belief statement. It's powerful, it resonates, and starts the day on a positive note.
2. Use a Scheduler: If you don't write it down on your schedule to do a walk through, be visible, or do that observation, then it will not get done! I use Google Calendar and live by it. I have shared the calendar with my secretary who schedules my observations and meetings with staff when needed. Using an online calendar such as Google Calendar, iCal, or Outlook will help you organize YOU. The best part is that it notifies me of my schedule in the morning, and notifies me 10 minutes in advance.
3. Provide Mini-Observations: Teachers want feedback on how they are doing. When you do a walk through or mini-observation give them honest, constructive feedback. I like what Kim Marshall has listed in how to do mini-observations the right way: Unannounced, Frequent, Short, Face-to-face, Perceptive, Humble, Courageous, Systematic, Documented, Linked to teacher teamwork and schoolwide improvement, Linked to end-of-year teacher evaluation, and Explained well. (Kim Marshall, Rethinking Teacher Supervision and Evaluation, 2nd Edition, 2013.) Marshall suggests to do 10 mini-observations on each teacher, throughout the school year.. That would be 1 mini-observation per month. In our district, we do 5 mini observations for tenured, 2 formal observations and 3 mini-observations for 1st year teachers, and 1 formal observation and 4 mini-observations for 2nd and 3rd year non-tenured teachers. What it has accomplished for me is having powerful, professional conversations about what is occurring in the classroom, asking questions of the staff, and coaching best practice. It is also building trust and it is so important to have those face-to-face conversations about what is working and what needs to be refined. It's about growth and should not be about a "gotcha".
4. Share The Leadership: I am the sole administrator/lead learner at East Side, with a student population of 463 and about 60 staff members. There is no way I can do this job alone and I rely on the staff to help run the school. Give leadership roles to your teacher's. Give them opportunities to work together so they can manage the Common Core. They are the ones in the trenches and will help boost school morale and provide great education for our students.
5. Be the Lead Learner: Rather than being "the principal", be the Lead Learner. Joe Mazza, Lead Learner of Knapp Elementary School in the North Penn School District, PA, coined this term and it means to talk the talk and walk the walk. Say what you mean, mean what you say. Join your teachers in professional development. Share your learning and what you find. Get on Twitter people! (Social media networking is huge and you should be embracing this venue.) Gone are the days of the principal sitting in the office, managing discipline and minutia. We need to be visible, be a part of what is happening in our schools, and be in the classrooms.
6. Your Hour of Power: Tony Robbins says that we have to have a daily ritual of physical and emotional conditioning. This means having time for you. Are you experiencing an extraordinary life? He also says to put in some type of physical activity. I try to power walk the hallways of my school and examine student work displayed and in turn, see the pride in our students' accomplishments. This also gives me an hour to reflect on the day and plan. Give yourself this hour to rejuvenate and reflect.
7. Stop Those Boring Staff Meetings: Are you regurgitating information that can be shared via email or a blog? Stop that type of staff meeting where it is you up there, giving information and share it with your staff. Don't waste their time by giving unnecessary information that can be shared via email or better yet, flip your staff meeting as Peter DeWitt shared in his blog Finding Common Ground.
8. Climate and Culture: How is the climate of your building? Have you given a culture survey? Are you dealing with lots of discipline issues that boggle you down? Maybe it is time to implement a social and emotional curriculum such as Responsive Classroom or PBIS. If you don't address the social and emotional aspects of students and get to know your kids, forget about the academics. Programs such as these change the culture of your building not only for students, but for the adults. The social and emotional curriculum is just as important as the academic curriculum. Once you have the social and emotional curriculum in place, academics are a breeze. It is about the relationships we develop not only with our students, but also with adults.
9. Celebrate: Celebrate the joys of being a team, a school family. We just finished our Holiday stocking stuffing exchange and what a hit it made for the staff. We also celebrate baby showers, weddings, birthdays, you name it. Again, as adults, it's about the relationships and working together to be the best we can be. I always say to the staff, "You are the best of the best." You say it often, and it starts to become a part of you, and we show our pride.
10. It's People, Not Programs: Todd Whitaker says it best that it's about the teachers, the people, not the programs. "We can spend a great deal of time and energy looking for programs that will solve our problems. Too often, these programs do not bring the improvement or growth we need. Instead, we must focus on what really matters. It is never about' programs; it is always about people." (Todd Whitaker, What Great Principals Do Differently, 2003.) Yes we have new Common Core State Standards and those modules, but if you are not putting the time into your people, your staff and teachers, giving them time to plan, collaborate, reflect and giving them ownership, then it will be a tough road ahead. Empower your teachers and your staff, and you will have a better school. You know that if you have great teachers, you will have a great school. "The program itself is never the solution nor the problem." (Todd Whitaker)
In the end, it is all about teamwork. As the lead learner, create those opportunities for collaboration, leadership, reflection and rejuvenation. You are the lead leaner and remember to remain positive!
I keep reading the "dreadful" news that American students don't compare well to students in many other countries on test scores, that our scores are woefully behind students in other countries, and that our students are not being prepared for the future as compared with students in other countries!
I find this a strange way to think about America's educational system. In other spheres, we rarely compare ourselves to others. Is our medical system as good as others? Of course! We think of ourselves as unique and the best in the world in developing and using technology! We tend to think of ourselves as "special" and "different" in most areas, and make very few comparisons to other countries. We generally look at our own strengths and problems as a way of making judgments about how well we are doing. We most often find our own unique solutions to the problems that we face.
In this context, how should teachers, educational leaders, parents, and the general public think about American education? Should we all use a single set of standardized tests to compare ourselves to others at home and throughout the world? Or should we develop a unique concept of American education focused around American ideas, values and strengths? If we were to consider the "specialness" of America, its unique qualities, and build an educational system around those areas, what would it look like? How do we make our educational system "fit" with our unique qualities? What would we expect from teachers and our leaders? How would we know if we were succeeding?
Let's take a stab at it. Here is my list of many of the unique qualities of American society and what I think are the implications of these strengths for building a strong American education system:
The importance of knowledge and "understanding". From its beginnings, knowledge and understanding have been a critical part of American society. Benjamin Franklin set a high standard in developing, disseminating, and searching for knowledge and understanding. The American system of mass education for all Americans assumed that it was important for everyone to become literate and build a basic knowledge base. Andrew Carnegie promoted the development of public libraries so all could have access to knowledge and information.
Educational Implications. Access to and a focus on broad-based knowledge and understanding for all Americans should be an overall goal of American education. In today's "knowledge explosion" world, a significant knowledge base should be coupled with the lifelong learning skills that will enable all Americans to continually learn and grow in their knowledge, information, and understanding.
Constitutional government around democratic values. The development of American democratic values – separation of powers, the Bill of Rights, one man, one vote – are one of the most unique characteristics of American society. We take these rights seriously and have over many years developed strengthened and improved them.
Educational Implications: A primary educational goal in today's world is to insure that all our students understand the Constitution, its development, and its role in American society. All students should understand the conflicts that developed around it, changes and adaptations that have been made, related court cases, and its primary role in American society today.
Active Citizenship. A corollary to Constitutional government and democratic values is the role Americans play in the American political system. Americans today rarely sit back and accept government's role in American society at any level. We tend to keep up with issues and problems and form strong opinions about what should be done (or not done) to solve them. We join a variety of groups and organizations dedicated to actively pursuing what we believe in – from environmental protection laws to a strong military. We actively engage in improving government, and expect a certain amount of honesty and competence among our government officials. We also expect basic services – safety, road repairs, security, and the like – to be provided efficiently.
Educational Implications: When studying American history, students should learn how in all eras a variety of individuals, groups and organizations promoted different causes and advocated for governmental policies to support them. Through a strong current events program, students should have the opportunity to continually examine and analyze the many issues that confront us today. Students in their high school years should be encouraged to become involved in causes that they believe in, discuss and write about their diverse views, debate issues that face us, and listen to, read about, and analyze the varied views and arguments of others.
Pragmatic problem solving. America has always been a land that has prided itself on pragmatic, practical problem solving. This "roll up your sleeves" characteristic began with the Colonists, was demonstrated when the Constitution was written, and is an important value throughout American history. Today it can be seen in the way businesses collect data and solve problems[i]. While our National government today is more ideological and less pragmatic, pragmatic government has always been an important thread running through governmental policies. Even FDR's New Deal consisted of a lot of very pragmatic efforts by government to solve the problems of the Depression!
Educational Implications: Students should practice pragmatic problem solving in order to develop alternative solutions to the issues that face us. Developing classroom rules is one way. Conducting interviews to collect data is another. Conducting scientific experiments and building scientific problem solving skills is another. Providing students with authentic performance tasks that require hands on problem solving is also an excellent way to promote these skills.
Upward mobility, success, a better life. The Declaration of Independence focused on "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" as an ideal for all Americans. Millions of Americans came to America's shores to search for a new life free from persecution and filled with opportunity. Education has always been one of the most significant vehicles for reaching the "American dream" and for upward mobility.
Educational Implications: "Equal opportunity" education as a route to "success" and achievement has played and today plays a very important role in American society. Schools are asked to create a culture of high and challenging expectations, share knowledge and information, and develop skills and attitudes that will help to improve the lives of Americans and develop individual talents and interests.
This means that we should commit ourselves to insuring that ALL schools – urban, suburban, rural – should provide quality services that include a full and complete curriculum in all subject areas, small class sizes, up to date technology, strong extra curricular programs, quality professional and curricular development, counselors and libraries, and so on. Additional services should also be available in those areas with high poverty levels and strong needs.
Individual development, growth and responsibility
America values individuals who take personal responsibility for their lives! We admire individuals who overcome obstacles, work hard, continue to improve and learn, don't give up on themselves. We expect people to persist, show "grit" and determination, and overcome failure. We support the idea that everyone should have the opportunity to develop individual talents and strengths, and encourage difference among students.
Educational Implications: Schools should figure out ways to help students develop individual personal responsibility over time. Helping students learn to be persistent, learn from failure, stay on track, and see effort as important for success should be an important part of the curriculum at all levels, especially in those areas where children need this type of help and support. Students should have the opportunity to participate in multiple types of experiences that enable them to discover and develop their interests and talents.
Invention and creativity
America has always been a society that supported new ideas, innovation, and creative thinking. Americans invented a whole new way of thinking about government in the formation of its Constitution. Consider just the latest manifestations of this thinking – social media options, the desktop computer, mp3 players, tablets, search engines, hybrid and electric cars, solar energy, just name a few.
Educational Implications: Schools should be places where students learn to think creatively, come up with original solutions to problems, invent. Special elective courses might be developed that examine the role that invention, innovation, and creativity played and plays in American society. Students at all levels might learn creative problem solving strategies and techniques. Project based learning strategies might be used to encourage students to solve problems creatively.
The promise of science and technology
Throughout American history, science and technology have been thought of as a way to improve people's lives. Science and technology achievements have dramatically changed our lives for the better, and will probably continue to do so in the future. Agricultural science thrived in rural America and paved the way for huge increases in crop yields, better water management, and so on. Inventions such as the cotton gin, the electric light bulb, the steam engine, and mass production techniques were critical to the prosperity and improvements in American society. Nobel prizes are regularly bestowed on America's scientists.
Educational Implications: Science and technology should play a much greater role in educating American students. Strong high quality programs in these areas should begin in pre-school and include an understanding of the scientific method, core concepts and theories in science and the evidence that supports them, involvement in science competitions, and opportunities to creatively think about scientific and technical achievements. A big push should be to integrate science and technology with math and engineering throughout the curriculum, as in the STEM subjects
American artisans, from individual craftsmen to the design and building of the Model-T ford, have been a stalwart factor in American society.
Educational Implications: "Craftsmanship" should be emphasized in American schools. Craftsmanship is not doing well on tests – rather, it is focused on high performance levels, whether it be for writing an essay, participating in a discussion, creating a mural, doing a presentation, or acting in a play. [ii]
Tolerance for diversity, difference, pluralism.
One of America's unique strengths is its continuous movement towards greater tolerance, diversity and respect for difference. Hard work and effort by many courageous Americans has resulted in the collapse of slavery, the significant reduction of anti-semitic, ethnic and racial prejudice, increased civil rights, and the movement for gay and lesbian rights.
Educational Implications: With the world's boundaries shrinking through instant worldwide communication, global travel, global trade and multicultural corporations, educational programs that explore cultural diversity and tolerance both within and outside of America are important for living in a multicultural world. Student self-development programs that promote tolerance and reduce prejudice towards others should also be a critical part of the educational experience.
Competition and Collaboration
Both competition and collaboration are important values in American society. Competition is at the heart of the American capitalist system, and our competitive economic system has created products of excellence at relatively low cost. Collaboration is also important, especially within corporations and businesses, in order to bring together the best minds to maintain and develop economic success.
Educational implications: Our educational culture should support both competition among students to be the best, as well as cooperative ways to learn and grow together.
Voluntary service to others.
CNN has created a process to discover and share information about "heroes" that provide voluntary service to others; this yearlong process, culminating in a two hour program rewarding the ten best "heroes" for their work, correlates closely with American values. Many Americans freely give both their money and their services to help others – this is part of the great American tradition.
Educational implications: Schools should promote this American value by organizing opportunities for students to provide community service to others, and to learn from their service. Many schools already have community service opportunities for their students.
What teachers, schools and districts can do…
When education is based on America's unique qualities, values and strengths, a paradigm very different from one based on improving standardized test scores emerges. Based on these qualities, here are some things that teachers, schools and districts can do:
We need to begin to measure our success in educating our young by how well we implement educational practices and programs based on America's unique qualities and strengths, not by comparing American student's standardized tests scores against other country's scores. Teachers, schools and the outside community can judge success by how well students "understand" and apply content, read widely, write and communicate well, learn how to do research and problem solve, develop an understanding of American democracy and what it means to be a good citizen, learn about current American and world-wide issues and challenges, become interested and engaged in STEM subjects, think creatively, develop an interest in many activities and their talents through participation in both core and extra-curricular programs, complete high quality work, develop individual responsibility traits, volunteer for community service, and so on.
These criteria suggest that individual schools, teachers, and educational leaders might want to think differently about what makes for successful educational experiences, and build alternative activities and programs into classrooms and schools to support American excellence. They also suggest that governmental policies, built around standardized test scores, are currently headed us in a very limiting and wrong direction as we try to improve education and prepare our students for living a 21st century world. Unfortunately, we have a long way to go in creating an educational system that builds on what is unique about and important to American society, and in using appropriate assessments to judge when education is successful.
[i] For example, see a recent article in the New York Times, February 15, 2014, Intel's Sharp-Eyed Social Scientist, that examines how Intel fosters research and collects data for improving product development.
[ii] For further insights into the role of craftsmanship in American education, see Ron Berger (2003), An Ethic of Excellence: Building a Culture of Craftsmanship with Students. Portsmouth, New Hampshire: Heinemann publishers.
Elliott Seif is a long time educator, Understanding by Design trainer, author, consultant, and former Professor of Education at Temple University. Many of his commentaries can be found on ASCD Edge. If you are interested in further examining ways to improve teaching and learning and help to prepare students to live in a 21st century world, go to his website: www.era3learning.org
I was having a great week. I had returned from ECET2, a convening celebrating effective teachers and teaching. It was hosted by the Gates Foundation (@gatesed), and all 350 attendees were nominated from major educational organizations. From that experience, I gained new friendships and possible opportunities for future collaboration. Our NJASCD North Region had a successful weekday PD event with Eric Sheninger (@NMHS_Principal) on Digital Learning and Leading. Eric even stayed 45 minutes after his presentation ended to ask me, and my North Region Co-Director, Billy J. Krakower (@wkrakower), how we were doing personally and professionally. Life was good. But all I could think about was some offhand comment someone had made to me a few days earlier.
It was an innocuous comment made to me by someone I don't know. And, it's so silly it doesn't even bear repeating. Yet, I stayed in my car for almost ten minutes before reversing my car out of my parking spot.
In prior posts I've written about the importance of treating each other well and modeling it daily, the importance of honesty in our relationships with students, parents, and peers, and staying true to our core values as educators. I pride myself in finding the good in others, in our field, and myself, which is why as I reflected on this moment, I wondered where my unwavering positivity went. Why would I let someone I don't know, who doesn't know me and will never see me again, have a lasting effect on me? Why would I allow someone to take away my excellence?
Eric Bernstein (@bernsteinusc), in his race to write more than I do, wrote a beautiful piece about the importance of understanding who students are as people, and where they are as learners. (http://edge.ascd.org/_Lessons-From-the-Fonz-Part-1/blog/6562962/127586.html). His belief (and mine, too) is: the better we know our students, the more successful we can educate them. I think we can extend this concept: the better we know and are honest with ourselves, the better we can educate our students because we will be in a better place, too. And, it's important for us to be honest with ourselves, acknowledge what irks us (like a throwaway comment by a stranger), and have a support system in place to assist us when we hear the negative whispers after a comment like that which feeds into our insecurities.
With the hope that this post supports other educators who hear and sometimes can't block out the negative whispers, here is my advice to keep the faith:
1. Get Some Ed Therapy: Twitter has salvaged my day more than I like to admit. When I'm down, drained, or dejected, I click on my Tweetdeck shortcut and connect with my edufriends. They have become an extended family, one I share my thoughts, questions, concerns, and ruminations about life in and outside of education. I know they will always be my rock when I need them, and hope they know the same is true for me. My #ASCDL2L, #satchat, #njed, #arkedchat, #iaedchat, #edchat, and #ECET2 crew, I love you all. (Hashtag that).
2. Find Your Matt Hall: every person in education needs one person in their district who believes in them and shares of themselves, so we become better by learning from their experiences, instead of having to go through them ourselves. Matt Hall (@MHall_MST), the Science and Technology Supervisor in my district, is that person for me. Because he's paid his dues, knows my driven nature and my end goals, listens to me when I speak, and guides me when my thinking needs redirection. And, he's a vault. What goes on with Matt Hall, stays with Matt Hall.
3. Have a Phone Call with Someone from Iowa (or North Carolina, Minnesota, or New York): it was one year ago when I was at a crossroads professionally. I wasn't sure where my path was leading, or if I could go further. Jimmy Casas (Casas_Jimmy), who I'd known briefly from a couple Twitter interactions, called me and spoke with me for an hour. We discussed me: who I was, who I wanted to be, what my long-term goals were, and why. Jimmy reminded me I couldn't change my current situation, but I could change my mindset. And it was that conversation, followed by conversations with Steven Weber (@curriculumblog), Kimberly A. Hurd (@khurdhorst), and Maureen Connolly (http://goo.gl/RPN7DH) that prompted me to e-mail Marie Adair (@todayadair), the Executive Director of NJASCD, and ask what I could do to help the organization. Her response: "Whatever you are comfortable with. We're just happy to have you join us."
Like Eric Bernstein's post, I tried to focus on three main points. Additionally, Eric mentioned his desire to keep his message short, but acknowledged the challenges inherent in that. With that being said, I wanted to list the 99 people who have mentored me on the anniversary of my mindset changing conversations. I am not a better person, father, husband, or teacher without them in my life. I have listed Eric Sheninger, Billy Krakower, Eric Bernstein, Matt Hall, Jimmy Casas, Steven Weber, Kim Hurd, Maureen Connolly, and Marie Adair already, so I will start at the number ten, in no order. Each one of them has helped shape and mold me in some way. To acknowledge that, I have included their Twitter handles if they have them. All are worthy of a follow, and will reciprocate sharing ideas with the goal that we all go further together. We may have 99 problems, but a mentor should not be one:
10. David Culberhouse (@dculberhouse)
11. Daisy Dyer-Duerr (@daisydyerduerr)
12. Scott Rocco (@scottrrocco)
13. Brad Currie (@bcurrie5)
14. John Fritzky (@johnfritzky)
15. Jay Eitner (@isupereit)
16. Anthony Fitzpatrick (@antfitz)
17. Diane Jacobs
18. Pam Lester (@njpam)
19. Mariann Helfant
20. MaryJean DiRoberto
21. Tom Tramaglini (@tomtramaglini)
22. Matt Mingle (@mmingle1)
23. Alina Davis (@alinadavis)
24. Fred Ende (@fredende)
25. Becki Kelly (@bekcikelly)
26. Kevin Kelly (@emammuskevink)
27. Tony Sinanis (@tonysinanis)
28. Ross LeBrun (@MrLeBrun)
29. Darren Vanishkian (@mrvteaches)
30. Glenn Robbins (@glennr1809)
31. Rebecca McLelland-Crawley
32. Bruce Arcurio (@principalarc)
33. Scott Totten (@4bettereducatio)
34. Kevin Connell (@WHS_Principal)
35. Krista Rundell (@klrundell)
36. Cory Radisch (@MAMS_Principal)
37. Meg (Simpson) Cohen (@megkcohen)
38. Tina Byland
39. Klea Scharberg
40. Suzy Brooks (@simplysuzy)
41. Eric Russo (@erusso78)
42. Walter McKenzie (@walterindc)
43. Kristen Olsen (@kristenbolsen)
44. Kevin Parr
45. Robert Zywicki (@zywickir)
46. Chris Giordano (@giordanohistory)
47. Jim Cordery (@jcordery)
48. Drew Frank (@ugafrank)
49. Jasper Fox, Sr. (@jsprfox)
50. Kate Baker (@ktbkr4)
51. Megan Stamer (@meganstamer)
52. John Falino (@johnfalino1)
53. Jon Harper (@johnharper70bd)
54. Grant Wiggins (@grantwiggins)
55. Kirsten Wilson (@teachkiwi)
56. Dan P. Butler (@danpbutler)
57. Tim Ito (@timito4)
58. Andre Meadows (@andre_meadows)
59. Tom Whitford (@twhitford)
60. Matt Renwick (@readbyexample)
61. Chris Bronke (@mrbronke)
62. Daniel Ryder (@wickeddecentlearning)
63. Emily Land (@eland1682)
64. Jessica (J-Wright) Wright (@jessicampitts)
65. Phil Griffins (@philgriffins)
66. Jennifer Orr (@jenorr)
67. Sophia Weissenborn (@srweissenborn)
68. Kristie Martorelli (@azstoykristie)
69. Michelle Lampinen (@michlampinen)
70. Manan Shah (@shahlock)
71. Tom Murray (@thomascmurray)
72. Rich Kiker (@rkiker)
73. Irvin Scott (@iscott4)
74. Vivett Hymens (@lotyssblossym)
75. Jon Spencer (@jonspencer4)
76. Jozette Martinez (jozi_is_awesome)
77. Peggy Stewart (@myglobalside)
78. Michael J. Dunlea (@michaeljdunlea)
79. Karen Arnold (@sanford475)
80. Ashleigh Ferguson (@ferg_ashleigh)
81. Jill Thompson (@edu_thompson)
82. Rick Hess (@rickhess99)
83. Maddie Fennell (@maddief)
84. Todd Whitaker (@toddwhitaker)
85. Jeff Zoul (@jeff_zoul)
86. Jen Audley (@jen_audley)
87. Kevin Scott (@edu_kevin_)
88. Kathryn Suk (@ksukeduc)
89. Baruti Kafele (@principalkafele)
90. Peter DeWitt (@petermdewitt)
91. Anthony McMichael (@a_mcmichael)
92. Natalie Franzi (@nataliefranzi)
93. Paul Bogush (@paulbogush)
94. Sam Morra (@sammorra)
95. Spike C. Cook (@drspokecook)
96. Colin Wikan (@colinwikan)
97. George Courous (@gcouros)
98. Scott Taylor (@tayloredlead)
99. Dave Burgess (@burgessdave)
The boxes arrived last week. Those boxes stacked high, full of Iowa Assessment test booklets, answer sheets, and directions for administration. They arrived and are sitting against the far wall of my office – not physically, but philosophically in the way. In two weeks, our students will take those tests. They will spend multiple hours over a course of a week filling in bubbles to demonstrate to the federal and state governments that they have grown academically in content areas like reading, math, science, and social studies. There will be no test on grit or perseverance – except their ability to complete the test without creating a pattern on the answer sheet. There will be no test on creativity – unless they do create a pattern on the answer sheet.
All of this will happen in the midst of a year where my district has truly pushed itself to know the learner better to grow the learner better. We have pushed hard to mold ourselves into what our students need, not mold the students into what we need. We have more teachers that ever using data to revise instruction, using standards-based learning, and thinking about competency-based education. We work toward a new goal of personalized learning in our district – and it is exciting, invigorating, daunting, and … the right work.
So, those boxes sit in my office while I have the pleasure of attending a convening hosted by the Nellie Mae Foundation and KnowledgeWork on the federal accountability framework in light of competency-based education. The convening was a great two days focused on assessment, core CBE principles, the role of the federal government in education, and the unintended consequences of building a new framework that is easy to understand (and which may do more harm to CBE than the current one).
The discussion on accountability traveled far and wide. Some of the main points and questions raised included:
I was excited by the opportunity to impact federal policy, yet realistic enough to know that it would not be done when the convening was complete. We must struggle with the enormous task of changing a federal mindset that accountability is one battery of tests once a year. This is completely antithetical to competency-based education and personalized learning. We must work to change this mindset and the system of accountability derived from it if we are truly to have an opportunity to meet every student where they are at and guide them to where they can be.
I know it will not be an easy fix, but it is the right work to do. We must persist, we must challenge, and we must ask the questions that change policy, challenge politics and improve the learning environments and experiences of our students. A student is not a series of data points. Each student is a complex combination of dreams, passions, fears, and possibilities. No test, or battery of tests, will ever fully measure all of that. But we can – and should – get a lot closer to it.