August 20, 2012

What if You Flipped Your Faculty Meetings?

So, we’ve talked a lot about teachers flipping their classrooms.  Have you ever thought about flipping your meetings or professional development?  This is a pretty thought-provoking blog entry that just might get you thinking differently about how you model effective instructional strategies.

“What's beautiful about flipping your faculty meetings is you are modeling an instructional practice that you'd like to see spreading in your classrooms. Flipping empowers students, giving them ownership over the direction of their learning -- and that feels good whether you're 12 or 27.”

Imagine recording a model data team meeting, sending it out to staff to view, and then bringing everyone together for discussion about what they saw.  We could do the same thing with best practices in the classroom.  Let me know if you give this a try.  I’d love to hear how it goes!

What if You Flipped Your Faculty Meetings

Disrupt Yourself

As a follow-up to our Admin Retreat, and in the spirit of Disruptive Innovations and Disrupting Class, I felt Whitney Johnson's article, Disrupt Yourself served as a great personal account of the Disruptive process.  Johnson moved to New York and went from being a secretary to becoming a Senior Analyst with Merrill Lynch.  She walked away from this lucrative career to become an entrepreneur, and in her words felt it was "time to leave my comfortable perch and become an entrepreneur. Time to disrupt myself."  Johnson goes on to describe the lessons she learn in her own personal disruption.  Check out her Ted Talk as well  here

Disrupt Yourself

Managers: Get the Monkeys Off Your Back

Here is a familiar situation: one of your staff members finds you to share a problem that he/she is encountering.  You patiently listen and, in an effort to be helpful, you say that you will do ______ and get back to them.  You add that new chore to your insurmountable "To Do" list.  Now who has the problem?  

In "Managers: Get the Monkeys off Your Back", the goal is to "...minimize or eliminate subordinate- imposed work, get control of boss- and system-imposed work, and maximize discretionary time".  As the school year kicks off, I believe every administrator in Hilliard City Schools is wrestling to manage time to accomplish many work-related tasks.  I bet our delegation skills could be strengthened to find "more time" during our professional day.  

Managers: Get the Monkeys Off Your Back

Even Geniuses Work Hard

If you’re considering whether or not to join in on the iBrain seminar this school year, “Even Geniuses Work Hard”  is a great way to get a general flavor for Carol Dweck’s book, mindset.  This article supports her theory that individuals' attitudes about intelligence affect their behavior and achievement. Students with a fixed mindset think intelligence is innate and unchangeable.  Those with a growth mindset believe that intelligence can grow if they work hard and practice. What I like most about the article is that Dweck reminds us of practical ways for teachers to structure and facilitate learning opportunities in ways that foster a growth mindset. These teachers create a culture of risk-taking in their classrooms; emphasize the joy of a challenge; communicate students’ progress toward mastery; and recognize students’ effort and growth.  Dweck recognizes our ultimate goal of nurturing a love of learning and helping students to see both opportunity and reward in overcoming obstacles.

Even Geniuses Work Hard

An Open Letter to Principals: Five Leadership Strategies for the New Year

Eric Sheninger, for those in the Twitter world know of him, is a principal that embraces not only the changes we see coming as a result of our students needs but is also outward focused on growing leadership among principals. He posted this letter the other day on his blog titled “Open Letter to Principals” outlining some basic strategies for leadership. I read through it once with it having little impact on my frame of mind, then we had Dale’s message Friday. I returned to the letter and re-read it, this time with a clear sense of how much our leaders will impact the direction of HCSD. As the kids come back, the staff’s return, and you begin the daily grind I want to say how much you are each valued and how important your leadership truly is. The message Friday will never find the intended audience without your voice.

If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.
John Quincy Adams

An Open Letter to Principals

August 6, 2012

Hard Times Generation - A 60 Minutes Video Segment

You may have seen this 60 Minutes video segment last year, or even last week when it aired again.  It's a glimpse at the harsh reality that so many families and students face today -- and a powerful reminder for us as we prepare to make a difference in the lives of thousands of young people again this school year.

"Never has unemployment been so high for so long. And as a result, more than 16 million kids are living in poverty -- that's the most since 1962 . . . . It's life for a lot of folks. The number of kids in poverty in America is pushing toward 25 percent. One out of four. Austin and Ariel usually get cleaned up for school at gas stations. They find its best to go to different ones every day so the managers don't get sore . . . ."

Like the national average, the number of economically disadvantaged students in our district is nearing 25 percent.  So, what is the impact on us?  And, what do we need to do differently to maximize these students' success?  

Hard Times Generation

5 Ways to Build Sustainable Relationships within Your School

As we begin the 2012 - 2013 school year with many new faces in our buildings, I wanted to share a short article that highlights 5 approaches to developing trust with your staff (Listen first; Overcommunicate; Confront inappropriate behaviors; Create fail-free zones; and Engage staff to gain support and build capacity).  As author John Wilson states, "building relational trust with school staff is a precursor to sustainable success."

Good luck, and here's to a great year!

5 Ways to Build Sustainable Relationships within Your School

21st-Century PLNs for School Leaders

I have a confession to make….I did create a Twitter account one year ago.  But, if I am being honest, I didn’t use it much in the last twelve months.  I struggled to figure out the best professionals and organizations to follow and how to manage it all.  However, my Twitter use has increased recently!  At the time of this writing, I have re-tweeted three times and now follow 14.  (It is important to celebrate small accomplishments!)

During the 2012 Innovative Learning Environment Conference, keynote speaker Will Richardson strongly encouraged participants to develop our own Personal Learning Networks.  He provided a strong argument that using social media sites, such as Twitter, allows us to connect with others on the professional topics about which we are passionate.   The featured article, 21^st Century PLNs for School Leaders, provides three specific (and easy) ways for administrators to leverage social media for our own professional growth. 

I would ask you to embrace the challenge with me and follow the three tips from author George Couros:

     1.  Create a Twitter account

     2.  Read blogs

     3.  Write a blog

21st-Century PLNs for School Leaders

What New Teachers Want from Colleagues

“What New Teachers Want from Colleagues,” is certainly appropriate as we venture into a new school year.  The pleas from teachers who just finished their first year will resonate with all grade levels and remind us that it truly does take a village, not just a mentor, to help a new educator survive.  The focus is on the benefits of a truly solid, caring school community: one that helps new teachers acclimate themselves to the profession, their students, their first classroom.  Here are their suggestions:

     1.  Share Friendship - and Ideas

     2.  Navigate Curriculum Together 

     3.  Grade Together

     4.  Discipline Together

     5.  Observe and Reflect Together

Building administrators can set the stage by devoting intellectual energy, time, and space to building an ongoing professional learning community.  As another new year begins, remind teachers of the benefits of functioning as a community.  Make sure teacher collaboration time intentionally nurtures your newest teachers and the experiences they’re offering young people.  Consider ways to build community outside school hours.  The end of the article serves as a reminder that we must “make the most of our opportunities to positively change the career trajectories of new colleagues in the same way we change those of our students.”

What New Teachers Want from Colleagues

The First Five Days of School with BYOT

Bring Your Own Technology is a hot topic for all schools because of the desire to go "Mobile" and "Plug-in".  This can be stressful for not only administrators, but also teachers if it isn't handled properly from the beginning.  As a teacher I navigated the positives and the inevitable disasters that came along with the dual edge sword of BYOT.  The disasters shouldn't be a deterrent for using these powerful learning devices. Below is an article that outlines how to handle the BYOT movement during the first five days of school. I know if I would have read this article 3 years ago, I would have had more positive stories, than disastrous ones. 

The First Five Days of School with BYOT

  

April 30, 2012

Re-Designing Spaces for Learning

We're creating opportunities for project-based learning.  We're "flipping" classrooms.  We're encouraging meaningful collaboration.  We're demanding purposeful instructional design with an emphasis on authentic experience.  But, how many classrooms in your building look the same today as they did five years ago, ten years ago, twenty years ago?

This interesting read reminds us that the configuration of the learning space is a crucial piece to shifting teaching and learning in the 21st century.

"My focus is the key importance of spatial awareness in redesigning spaces for learning. I hope the second decade of this century will be marked by an awareness that redesigning spaces will be as important to change processes, as describing the new skills deemed necessary for learning and career creation in the last decade. I will focus on our journey of change as a case study for education redesign."

 Click here to read the whole piece:

Re-Designing Spaces for Learning 

The Three New Pillars of 21st Century Learning

Recently, I attended a conference on Digital Learning in which one of the top executives at Pearson shared the following quote from Jack Welch, the former CEO of GE : “If the rate of change on the outside exceeds the rate of change on the inside, the end is near.”  As we all know, the world of education is changing at an alarming rate.  With the variety of school choice our students have these days, it’s our responsibility to be ahead of this rate of change.

In “The Three New Pillars of 21st Century Learning,” the author, Rob Mancabelli, calls for a need for new pillars for learning.  A change from the original pillars of the textbook; the lecturer; and the classroom.  Instead, he suggests the following, along with their implications: Pillar #1: “I’m only one of my students’ teachers, but I’m the most important because I teach them to connect to all the others.” Implication area: Instruction; Pillar #2: “My students should learn from me how to learn without me.” Implication area: Curriculum; and Pillar #3: “My students’ knowledge lies not only in their minds but in their networks.” Implication area: Assessment.

The Three New Pillars of 21st Century Learning

Calling All Innovators

"Calling All Innovators" might be my favorite article submission of the year!  The author, Tony Wagner, boldly states that our nation's "long-term economic health depends on innovation".  He challenges that "...educators must be far more intentional in designing cultures of innovation that foster the skills that matter most."  

He believes that few innovation-driven schools exist and highlights the five essential changes in our current schooling culture that need to occur:  

1. Collaboration versus individual achievement

2. Multidisciplinary learning versus specialization

3. Trial and error versus risk avoidance

4. Creating versus consuming

5. Intrinsic versus extrinsic motivation

The ideas in this article affirm the path that Hilliard Schools is choosing:  Innovative Learning Center, capstone projects, mentorships, college credit opportunities, project based learning.  We are creating learning opportunities in our school system that will ensure our students are ready for college and career.  

Calling All Innovators

Face the Facts: We Are All Headed For an iDisorder

Dr. Larry Rosen was our keynote speaker at last year’s Administrative Retreat.  He talked about the iGeneration and what we, as educators, need to know so that we can best meet the learning needs of today’s students.  In his new book, iDisorder: Understanding Our Obsession with Technology and Overcoming its Hold on Us, Larry claims the we are “hopelessly addicted to our devices, particularly our smartphones.”  Those afflicted with the disorder show signs of OCD, narcissism, and possibly ADHD!  Here are few questions you can ask yourself to check if you are addicted to your devices: Do you become anxious if you can’t check email or texts for several hours?  Do you switch tasks constantly and succumb to clicking whenever a message comes through?  You may have an iDisorder if you answered “yes” to one or both of these questions.

In this article, Dr. Rosen provides several strategies to help you to overcome the hold that technology may have on you.  Try these out and see how Larry’s helpful hints can free you from the grip!

Face the Facts: We Are All Headed For An iDisorder

April 23, 2012

Caine's Arcade

If you haven't watched the video Caine's Arcade yet, take about 10 minutes to watch.  There is a pretty strong message here for all of us to take away as we continue to focus on the "experience" we create everyday for the students in our classrooms.

Caine's story speaks volumes for the innovation, creativity, and passion students bring to school.  The question for us -- How do we support, strengthen, and celebrate this innovation, creativity, and passion?

To watch the video, click here:

Caine's Arcade

Educating the Next Steve Jobs

On the heels of the ILC announcement, I wanted to highlight an article that challenges us as educators to foster the development of the next Steve Jobs.  It is a call to action for us to develop the skills needed to become more innovative for our young people 

The author, Tony Wagner, sums this challenge up in the following: “Learning in most conventional education settings is a passive experience: The students listen. But at the most innovative schools, classes are "hands-on," and students are creators, not mere consumers.  They acquire skills and knowledge while solving a problem, creating a product or generating a new understanding.”

Educating the Next Steve Jobs

Ten Brain Based Learning Strategies

This post on the blog, Elementary Matters, caught my eye this week.  Based on much of the recent brain research that has been released, the author, Sally DeCost, highlights 10 proven learning strategies that apply to all learners.  

Share these with your teachers, and continue to encourage them to embed these strategies into their daily routine.  Enjoy!

Ten Brain Based Learning Strategies

Putting Students on the Pathway to Learning-The Case for Fully Guided Instruction

This article hopes to put an end to the debate of whether students learn best when they have to discover/construct knowledge or when they are provided with direct, explicit instruction.  As you will read, the direct, explicit approach to instruction is proven to be more effective, according to the research of authors Clark, Kirschner, and Sweller.  Direct instruction takes many forms, though, including lectures, modeling, demonstrations, practice, feedback, videos, computer based presentations, small group and independent projects.  Sounds a lot like the Fisher Gradual Release Model, doesn't it?  

"Controlled  experiments almost uniformly indicate that when dealing with novel information, students should be explicitly shown what to do, how to do it, and then have an opportunity to practice with corrective feedback.  Curiously, if given a choice, lower performing students prefer discovery learning and higher performing students prefer explicit instruction- in both cases, they're picking the approach that does them the least good."

Constructivism is a theory of how students learn.  It is not a prescription of how to teach students knowledge and skills.  For everyone except those who have demonstrated mastery, partial guidance during instruction is significantly less effective than full guidance.

 Putting Students on the Pathway to Learning - The Case for Fully Guided Instruction

Webinar: Creating Student-Centered Classrooms

Webinar #9: Creating Student-Centered Classrooms

In our final webinar of the school year, we look closer at the highly effective teacher characteristic – creates a student-centered classroom.

This webinar examines current research surrounding this characteristic and offers implementation strategies to make the classroom more student-centered.


Creating Student-Centered Classrooms (2011-2012) from Hilliard City Schools on Vimeo.

April 9, 2012

Salman Khan: Teacher to the World

My selection this week is not an article; rather it is a video segment that recently aired on 60 Minutes.  This segment tells the story of the Khan Academy, the impact it is having on education, and its plans to revolutionize the way our business works in the near future. 

I’ve shared information about the Khan Academy in the past, and some of our teachers are beginning to use his video lessons and/or create their own to “flip” the classroom.  If you haven’t watched this segment yet, it’s worth your time to learn more about the guy who “is determined to transform how we learn at every level.”  And some, like Bill Gates, believe Khan is “giving us all a glimpse at the future of education.”

Click here to watch the segment:

Khan Academy: The Future of Education

The Best Ideas for Our Schools

My selection this week comes from Eric Sheninger, Principal, New Milford High School.  Within the article, Sheninger discusses the need for change in the educational experience for today’s students.  He highlights five key components (Respect for each learner; Authentic problems; Real tools and materials; Expanded opportunities; and Collegiality) that need to be present our student’s experiences.  I felt this proved to be a great parallel to the experience we are creating for the students we serve in the Hilliard City Schools. 

As we know, change is not easy, but it is necessary to prepare our students for their future.  As Sheninger states, “As leaders, whether in the capacity as a teacher or administrator, it is our duty to be agents of change. We must collaboratively develop and implement our own ideas to improve the learning process in a way that emphasizes our student's cognitive growth, passions, and strengths, while challenging them to push their own boundaries.”

The Best Ideas for Our Schools

More States Retaining Struggling 3rd Graders

ODE recently released a summary of the state's Mid-Biennial Review (MBR).  In that document, we see that a "Reading Guarantee" at the elementary-level is being revived.  The clause of the MBR states that any child who is not proficient in reading by the end of third grade will be retained.  I recall a similar mandate at least ten years ago that remained in legislation until it was time to retain children. The guarantee was omitted at that time due to the high number of children that would have been forced to repeat the grade-level.  

Everyone agrees that strong reading abilities are necessary for future success in school and life.  The argument is on how best to correct weak reading skills for struggling students.  Retention is a polarizing position because of the negative research associated with it. Students who are retained often do not maintain academic improvements several years later, struggle with poor self esteem, and have a higher likelihood of being high school drop-outs.    

This week's article caught my eye because it tells about other states implementing a similar Reading Guarantee, as high as 8th grade.  I think it is important for us to pay attention to the legislative changes occurring across the U.S.; we can be certain that Ohio's decision-makers will be influenced by the educational changes in other states.  

More States Retaining Struggling 3rd Graders

Mass Customized Learning: The Key to Education Reform?

The future in educational reform lies in redesigning the process so that “mass customization” can be ensured.  Our current educational system worked well in the Industrial Age where only 25% of the work force needed to be skilled employees.  In a time when all students need to be college/career ready, our young people need to have instruction that is tailored to their needs and interests.

“Students learn by doing, anytime, anywhere.”  One way to accomplish this is through the use of technology, and  there are many free resources available to customize a 24-7 learning environment.

Mass Customized Learning: The Key to Education Reform?

March 19, 2012

Single-District Virtual Ed. Seen Growing Fastest

"Single-district online learning programs were the fastest-growing sector of virtual learning in the United States in 2011. Whether it is to provide more options for students, keep more students from seeking virtual learning options outside the school district, or simply to move toward 21st-century teaching and learning, many districts are launching and sustaining their own virtual learning programs."

This is an interesting read about school districts establishing their own virtual coursework for students.  This is clearly a growing trend and is right in line with our direction and vision.

Single-District Virtual Ed. Seen Growing Fastest

Why be an Administrative Tweeter

My selection this week comes from administrator Jeff Delp.  Delp briefly explains his journey on Twitter, and how its utilization has become an essential piece to his ongoing professional develop.  Delp states “Twitter can be customized to create individualized professional learning opportunities.”

Whether you’ve not yet created a Twitter account, have just started an account, or you’re a veteran, I encourage you to seek out some of the many “Connected Principals” that are out there to increase your PLN.  Oh, and don’t forget to follow @connected_leadr.  Enjoy!

Why be an Administrative Tweeter

The Challenge of Challenging Text

As Hilliard City Schools implements the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts, we recognize the attention given to literacy skills in science and social studies.  Teachers of these content areas need to be explicit at teaching students how to navigate the unique text of their disciple.  Often we hear content teachers express concern because their college training did not teach them how to "teach reading".  

This week's article, "The Challenge of Challenging Text" could be valuable for any teacher of high school, middle school, or upper elementary students. It explains components of text that cause difficulty for readers:  vocabulary, sentence structure, coherence, organization, and background knowledge.  The authors help teachers know what to do about text complexity.

Educational Leadership: Reading: The Core Skill: The Challenge of Challenging Text

In Schools, Self-Esteem Boosting is Losing Favor to Rigor, Fine-tuned Praise

Educational research over the last ten years has revealed that unearned praise to students actually interferes with the learning process.  With the emphasis on rigor today, words like “persistence”, “risk taking”, and “resilience” can lead to much higher achievement that the warm, fuzzy feelings that boost self esteem.

Praise should be related to objective standards.  Stanford University psychologist Carol Dweck says that “it is important to be clear with children about what a proficient or a gold medal performance looks like so that they know what to strive for”.  The Habits of Mind discussed in this article make way for invention, creativity, and life-long learning.

In Schools, Self-Esteem Boosting is Losing Favor to Rigor, Fine-tuned Praise