http://edge.ascd.org/service/getFeed.kickAction?quantity=25 New blogs from Jason_Flom on ASCD EDge Wed, 24 Apr 2013 10:39:01 GMT Wed, 24 Apr 2013 10:39:01 GMT website@ascd.org (ascdAdmin) website@ascd.org (ascdAdmin) KickApps Feed Builder 2013-04-24T10:39:01Z 20 http://edge.ascd.org/service/searchEverything.kickAction?as=127586&sortType=recent&tags=null 0 http://edge.ascd.org/_Paradox-of-Students39-34Deficits34-as-Society39s-Strengths/blog/6521526/127586.html [image] The Economist article, "In praise of misfits," lays out the business-related benefits of what the author  calls "creatives," "anti-social geeks," "oddball quants," and "rule-breaking entrepreneurs." While the entire article is well worth the read, we have pulled out a few quotes to help frame the idea that we should work tirelessly to help our school system to support these "misfits." Rather than treat their uniquenesses as deficits, we would do well to build on their actionable strengths and affinities -- qualities that are proving to shape our present, and will surely impact our future. From the article: Recruiters have noticed that the mental qualities that make a good computer programmer resemble those that might get you diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome: an obsessive interest in narrow subjects; a passion for numbers, patterns and machines; an addiction to repetitive tasks; and a lack of sensitivity to social cues. Additionally, Similar traits are common in the upper reaches of finance. The quants have taken over from the preppies. The hero of Michael Lewis's book “The Big Short”, Michael Burry, a hedge-fund manager, is a loner who wrote a stockmarket blog as a hobby while he was studying to be a doctor. He attracted so much attention from money managers that he quit medicine to start his own hedge fund, Scion Capital. The article goes on, Entrepreneurs also display a striking number of mental oddities. Julie Login of Cass Business School surveyed a group of entrepreneurs and found that 35% of them said that they suffered from dyslexia, compared with 10% of the population as a whole and 1% of professional managers. Prominent dyslexics include the founders of Ford, General Electric, IBM and IKEA, not to mention more recent successes such as Charles Schwab (the founder of a stockbroker), Richard Branson (the Virgin Group), John Chambers (Cisco) and Steve Jobs (Apple). All that said, however, there must be balance between the "creatives" and what the article refers to as, "The Organisation Man," or the "'well-rounded' executives." The writer goes on to explain, Where does that leave the old-fashioned organisation man? He will do just fine. The more companies hire brilliant mavericks, the more they need sensible managers to keep the company grounded. Someone has to ensure that dull but necessary tasks are done. Someone has to charm customers (and perhaps lawmakers). This task is best done by those who don't give the impression that they think normal people are stupid. All of this hints at the need for the real career-ready skill of knowing simply how to get along -- to not just tolerate differences, but to appreciate and leverage these differences as opportunities to innovate and become more than the sum of our parts. Our learning communities can be (and already are) incubators of the social relationships that, in part, define a student's path beyond graduations, for better or for worse. What if we were so bold as to decide that each student is a learner, learning changes lives,  learning happens in different ways, and learning empowers, and therefore we need to ensure that each student feels the work of schooling matters to them and that their strengths and affinities are not only valued, but embraced and employed as essential to the success of the community? Do we need to wait until these "misfits" graduate and enter the workforce to change the following? Those square pegs may not have an easy time in school. They may be mocked by jocks and ignored at parties. Because, after all, . . . these days no serious organisation can prosper without them. As Kiran Malhotra, a Silicon Valley networker, puts it: “It's actually cool to be a geek.” We, as educators and advocates of all students, have the power to change this trend. There is no need for students to wait until adulthood to find that their strengths matter, and no research suggests this is in the best interest of students, especially those "creatives, oddballs, and/or square pegs among us. Photo Credit: BrittneyBush via Compfight cc This post was originally published on the All Kinds of Minds blog.  [image] The Economist article, "In praise of misfits," lays out the business-related benefits of what the author  calls "creatives," "anti-social geeks," "oddball quants," and "rule-breaking entrepreneurs." While the entire article is well worth the read, we have pulled out a few quotes to help frame the idea that we should work tirelessly to help our school system to support these "misfits." Rather than treat their uniquenesses as deficits, we would do well to build on their actionable strengths and affinities -- qualities that are proving to shape our present, and will surely impact our future. From the article: Recruiters have noticed that the mental qualities that make a good computer programmer resemble those that might get you diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome: an obsessive interest in narrow subjects; a passion for numbers, patterns and machines; an addiction to repetitive tasks; and a lack of sensitivity to social cues. Additionally, Similar traits are common in the upper reaches of finance. The quants have taken over from the preppies. The hero of Michael Lewis's book “The Big Short”, Michael Burry, a hedge-fund manager, is a loner who wrote a stockmarket blog as a hobby while he was studying to be a doctor. He attracted so much attention from money managers that he quit medicine to start his own hedge fund, Scion Capital. The article goes on, Entrepreneurs also display a striking number of mental oddities. Julie Login of Cass Business School surveyed a group of entrepreneurs and found that 35% of them said that they suffered from dyslexia, compared with 10% of the population as a whole and 1% of professional managers. Prominent dyslexics include the founders of Ford, General Electric, IBM and IKEA, not to mention more recent successes such as Charles Schwab (the founder of a stockbroker), Richard Branson (the Virgin Group), John Chambers (Cisco) and Steve Jobs (Apple). All that said, however, there must be balance between the "creatives" and what the article refers to as, "The Organisation Man," or the "'well-rounded' executives." The writer goes on to explain, Where does that leave the old-fashioned organisation man? He will do just fine. The more companies hire brilliant mavericks, the more they need sensible managers to keep the company grounded. Someone has to ensure that dull but necessary tasks are done. Someone has to charm customers (and perhaps lawmakers). This task is best done by those who don't give the impression that they think normal people are stupid. All of this hints at the need for the real career-ready skill of knowing simply how to get along -- to not just tolerate differences, but to appreciate and leverage these differences as opportunities to innovate and become more than the sum of our parts. Our learning communities can be (and already are) incubators of the social relationships that, in part, define a student's path beyond graduations, for better or for worse. What if we were so bold as to decide that each student is a learner, learning changes lives,  learning happens in different ways, and learning empowers, and therefore we need to ensure that each student feels the work of schooling matters to them and that their strengths and affinities are not only valued, but embraced and employed as essential to the success of the community? Do we need to wait until these "misfits" graduate and enter the workforce to change the following? Those square pegs may not have an easy time in school. They may be mocked by jocks and ignored at parties. Because, after all, . . . these days no serious organisation can prosper without them. As Kiran Malhotra, a Silicon Valley networker, puts it: “It's actually cool to be a geek.” We, as educators and advocates of all students, have the power to change this trend. There is no need for students to wait until adulthood to find that their strengths matter, and no research suggests this is in the best interest of students, especially those "creatives, oddballs, and/or square pegs among us. Photo Credit: BrittneyBush via Compfight cc This post was originally published on the All Kinds of Minds blog.  Wed, 24 Apr 2013 10:39:01 GMT http://edge.ascd.org/_Paradox-of-Students39-34Deficits34-as-Society39s-Strengths/blog/6521526/127586.html Jason_Flom 2013-04-24T10:39:01Z ASCD EDge [image] The Economist article, "In praise of misfits," lays out the business-related benefits of what the author  calls "creatives," "anti-social geeks," "oddball quants," and "rule-breaking entrepreneurs." While the entire article is well worth the read, we have pulled out a few quotes to help frame the idea that we should work tirelessly to help our school system to support these "misfits." Rather than treat their uniquenesses as deficits, we would do well to build on their actionable strengths and affinities -- qualities that are proving to shape our present, and will surely impact our future. From the article: Recruiters have noticed that the mental qualities that make a good computer programmer resemble those that might get you diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome: an obsessive interest in narrow subjects; a passion for numbers, patterns and machines; an addiction to repetitive tasks; and a lack of sensitivity to social cues. Additionally, Similar traits are common in the upper reaches of finance. The quants have taken over from the preppies. The hero of Michael Lewis's book “The Big Short”, Michael Burry, a hedge-fund manager, is a loner who wrote a stockmarket blog as a hobby while he was studying to be a doctor. He attracted so much attention from money managers that he quit medicine to start his own hedge fund, Scion Capital. The article goes on, Entrepreneurs also display a striking number of mental oddities. Julie Login of Cass Business School surveyed a group of entrepreneurs and found that 35% of them said that they suffered from dyslexia, compared with 10% of the population as a whole and 1% of professional managers. Prominent dyslexics include the founders of Ford, General Electric, IBM and IKEA, not to mention more recent successes such as Charles Schwab (the founder of a stockbroker), Richard Branson (the Virgin Group), John Chambers (Cisco) and Steve Jobs (Apple). All that said, however, there must be balance between the "creatives" and what the article refers to as, "The Organisation Man," or the "'well-rounded' executives." The writer goes on to explain, Where does that leave the old-fashioned organisation man? He will do just fine. The more companies hire brilliant mavericks, the more they need sensible managers to keep the company grounded. Someone has to ensure that dull but necessary tasks are done. Someone has to charm customers (and perhaps lawmakers). This task is best done by those who don't give the impression that they think normal people are stupid. All of this hints at the need for the real career-ready skill of knowing simply how to get along -- to not just tolerate differences, but to appreciate and leverage these differences as opportunities to innovate and become more than the sum of our parts. Our learning communities can be (and already are) incubators of the social relationships that, in part, define a student's path beyond graduations, for better or for worse. What if we were so bold as to decide that each student is a learner, learning changes lives,  learning happens in different ways, and learning empowers, and therefore we need to ensure that each student feels the work of schooling matters to them and that their strengths and affinities are not only valued, but embraced and employed as essential to the success of the community? Do we need to wait until these "misfits" graduate and enter the workforce to change the following? Those square pegs may not have an easy time in school. They may be mocked by jocks and ignored at parties. Because, after all, . . . these days no serious organisation can prosper without them. As Kiran Malhotra, a Silicon Valley networker, puts it: “It's actually cool to be a geek.” We, as educators and advocates of all students, have the power to change this trend. There is no need for students to wait until adulthood to find that their strengths matter, and no research suggests this is in the best interest of students, especially those "creatives, oddballs, and/or square pegs among us. Photo Credit: BrittneyBush via Compfight cc This post was originally published on the All Kinds of Minds blog.  deficit, education, instruction, learning, strengths, transformation nonadult false Paradox of Students' "Deficits" as Society's Strengths text blog deficit,education,instruction,learning,strengths,transformation 570 11 5.0 http://edge.ascd.org/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=20433736&as=127586 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/127586/photos/PHOTO_7766452_127586_20433736_ap_160X120.jpg false United States FL Tallahassee 1 0 6521526 20433736 ASCD EDge Member 414 http://edge.ascd.org/_Mosaic-of-Effectiveness/blog/6501427/127586.html This post is a part of the ASCD Forum conversation on “how do we define and measure teacher and principal effectiveness?” To learn more about the ASCD Forum, go to www.ascd.org/ascdforum or join the ASCD Forum group.   What is an effective teacher?   It is the question we have paradoxically circled around and yet, improbably, ignored. Rather than define, describe and debate what effective teachers are or are not, we default to discourse on holding teachers accountable with test scores—crude metrics at best, destructive red herrings at worst.  In essence, we put the cart before the horse: measuring “effective” teaching before we know what it is or looks like.   So what is an effective teacher?   The effective teacher is a mosaic of professional behaviors, skills, and habits of mind that collectively amount to students’ vigorous well-being in body, mind, and emotion, or, in education reform parlance, “achievement” (another term crudely defined as a test score by default). The foundation of these behaviors, skills, and habits is learning: curiosity, inquiry, and a testing of theories. As a starting point, effectiveness in the business of learning is effectiveness as a learner.   However, “master learner” is not synonymous with “effective teacher.” Educators must possess and apply a host of other qualities consistently in the service of students to attain the coveted “effectiveness” status. Dr. Leo Sandy, Professor of Counselor Education and School Psychology at Plymouth State University, penned a short essay, The Effective Teacher, that might serve as a good starting point for creating a common definition. Below is a distillation of his main points.   He wrote: The effective teacher . . . Must be a leader who can inspire and influence students through expert and referent power but never coercive power. Is a provocateur who probes, prods, asks incessant why questions Exemplifies what Maxine Green calls teacher as stranger. Models enthusiasm not only for his subject but also for teaching and learning. Is an innovator who changes strategies, techniques, texts, and materials when better ones are found and/or when existing ones no longer provide a substantive learning experience for her students. Is a comedian/entertainer who uses humor in the service of learning. Is a coach or guide who helps students to improve. Is a genuine human being or humanist who is able to laugh at herself and the absurdity in the world without being cynical and hopeless. Is a sentinel who provides an environment of intellectual safety. Is an optimist or idealist. Is one with others. He is a collaborator who places a high value on collegiality. Is a revolutionary because she knows that, with the exception of parenthood, her role is the most vital one on earth in the preservation of the sanctity of life and its natural outcome – the elevation of humanity. It is here where I believe we should take up the question of what constitutes an effective teacher. Not because I agree with all of Dr. Sandy’s suggestions, but because I think they best approximate the kaleidoscope of responsibilities necessary to understand and meet the needs of all students.   Hopefully for now we can set aside the brainstorm inhibitors—“How will these be measured?” and “How can we possibly go to scale with such subjective qualities?” Instead, let’s first understand what we want of our teachers (perhaps by considering the kind of transformational experiences we want for our students) and then determine the best ways to observe, cultivate, and measure those actions, behaviors, and “achievements.”     Image: eHow This post is a part of the ASCD Forum conversation on “how do we define and measure teacher and principal effectiveness?” To learn more about the ASCD Forum, go to www.ascd.org/ascdforum or join the ASCD Forum group.   What is an effective teacher?   It is the question we have paradoxically circled around and yet, improbably, ignored. Rather than define, describe and debate what effective teachers are or are not, we default to discourse on holding teachers accountable with test scores—crude metrics at best, destructive red herrings at worst.  In essence, we put the cart before the horse: measuring “effective” teaching before we know what it is or looks like.   So what is an effective teacher?   The effective teacher is a mosaic of professional behaviors, skills, and habits of mind that collectively amount to students’ vigorous well-being in body, mind, and emotion, or, in education reform parlance, “achievement” (another term crudely defined as a test score by default). The foundation of these behaviors, skills, and habits is learning: curiosity, inquiry, and a testing of theories. As a starting point, effectiveness in the business of learning is effectiveness as a learner.   However, “master learner” is not synonymous with “effective teacher.” Educators must possess and apply a host of other qualities consistently in the service of students to attain the coveted “effectiveness” status. Dr. Leo Sandy, Professor of Counselor Education and School Psychology at Plymouth State University, penned a short essay, The Effective Teacher, that might serve as a good starting point for creating a common definition. Below is a distillation of his main points.   He wrote: The effective teacher . . . Must be a leader who can inspire and influence students through expert and referent power but never coercive power. Is a provocateur who probes, prods, asks incessant why questions Exemplifies what Maxine Green calls teacher as stranger. Models enthusiasm not only for his subject but also for teaching and learning. Is an innovator who changes strategies, techniques, texts, and materials when better ones are found and/or when existing ones no longer provide a substantive learning experience for her students. Is a comedian/entertainer who uses humor in the service of learning. Is a coach or guide who helps students to improve. Is a genuine human being or humanist who is able to laugh at herself and the absurdity in the world without being cynical and hopeless. Is a sentinel who provides an environment of intellectual safety. Is an optimist or idealist. Is one with others. He is a collaborator who places a high value on collegiality. Is a revolutionary because she knows that, with the exception of parenthood, her role is the most vital one on earth in the preservation of the sanctity of life and its natural outcome – the elevation of humanity. It is here where I believe we should take up the question of what constitutes an effective teacher. Not because I agree with all of Dr. Sandy’s suggestions, but because I think they best approximate the kaleidoscope of responsibilities necessary to understand and meet the needs of all students.   Hopefully for now we can set aside the brainstorm inhibitors—“How will these be measured?” and “How can we possibly go to scale with such subjective qualities?” Instead, let’s first understand what we want of our teachers (perhaps by considering the kind of transformational experiences we want for our students) and then determine the best ways to observe, cultivate, and measure those actions, behaviors, and “achievements.”     Image: eHow Tue, 22 Jan 2013 23:16:26 GMT http://edge.ascd.org/_Mosaic-of-Effectiveness/blog/6501427/127586.html Jason_Flom 2013-01-22T23:16:26Z ASCD EDge This post is a part of the ASCD Forum conversation on “how do we define and measure teacher and principal effectiveness?” To learn more about the ASCD Forum, go to www.ascd.org/ascdforum or join the ASCD Forum group.   What is an effective teacher?   It is the question we have paradoxically circled around and yet, improbably, ignored. Rather than define, describe and debate what effective teachers are or are not, we default to discourse on holding teachers accountable with test scores—crude metrics at best, destructive red herrings at worst.  In essence, we put the cart before the horse: measuring “effective” teaching before we know what it is or looks like.   So what is an effective teacher?   The effective teacher is a mosaic of professional behaviors, skills, and habits of mind that collectively amount to students’ vigorous well-being in body, mind, and emotion, or, in education reform parlance, “achievement” (another term crudely defined as a test score by default). The foundation of these behaviors, skills, and habits is learning: curiosity, inquiry, and a testing of theories. As a starting point, effectiveness in the business of learning is effectiveness as a learner.   However, “master learner” is not synonymous with “effective teacher.” Educators must possess and apply a host of other qualities consistently in the service of students to attain the coveted “effectiveness” status. Dr. Leo Sandy, Professor of Counselor Education and School Psychology at Plymouth State University, penned a short essay, The Effective Teacher, that might serve as a good starting point for creating a common definition. Below is a distillation of his main points.   He wrote: The effective teacher . . . Must be a leader who can inspire and influence students through expert and referent power but never coercive power. Is a provocateur who probes, prods, asks incessant why questions Exemplifies what Maxine Green calls teacher as stranger. Models enthusiasm not only for his subject but also for teaching and learning. Is an innovator who changes strategies, techniques, texts, and materials when better ones are found and/or when existing ones no longer provide a substantive learning experience for her students. Is a comedian/entertainer who uses humor in the service of learning. Is a coach or guide who helps students to improve. Is a genuine human being or humanist who is able to laugh at herself and the absurdity in the world without being cynical and hopeless. Is a sentinel who provides an environment of intellectual safety. Is an optimist or idealist. Is one with others. He is a collaborator who places a high value on collegiality. Is a revolutionary because she knows that, with the exception of parenthood, her role is the most vital one on earth in the preservation of the sanctity of life and its natural outcome – the elevation of humanity. It is here where I believe we should take up the question of what constitutes an effective teacher. Not because I agree with all of Dr. Sandy’s suggestions, but because I think they best approximate the kaleidoscope of responsibilities necessary to understand and meet the needs of all students.   Hopefully for now we can set aside the brainstorm inhibitors—“How will these be measured?” and “How can we possibly go to scale with such subjective qualities?” Instead, let’s first understand what we want of our teachers (perhaps by considering the kind of transformational experiences we want for our students) and then determine the best ways to observe, cultivate, and measure those actions, behaviors, and “achievements.”     Image: eHow brainstorming, education, education policy, education reform, learning, teacher effectiveness, teaching nonadult false Mosaic of Effectiveness text blog brainstorming,education,education policy,education reform,learning,teacher effectiveness,teaching 1166 11 5.0 http://edge.ascd.org/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=20433736&as=127586 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/127586/photos/PHOTO_7766452_127586_20433736_ap_160X120.jpg false United States FL Tallahassee 4 0 6501427 20433736 ASCD EDge Member 414 http://edge.ascd.org/_What-we-talk-about-when-we-talk-about-gaps/blog/6379673/127586.html We debate testing, tenure, and “great teachers” ad nauseum. We one up each other over who is putting students more first than anyone else. We parse choice, accountability, and common core until we can barely stand one another.   We do this, not because we are gluttons for punishment, but because we know learning matters, and despite any finger pointing we might do along the way, we all want each and every student to experience learning that transforms.     However, lost among the din of our discourse on outcomes are the day-to-day experiences students have in our nation’s schools (be they private, public, or charter), experiences that are, in far too many cases, separate and not equal.   Taken collectively, these experiences shape student “achievement” (which is crudely defined by standardized test scores and value added models). Any attempt to close the achievement gap requires that we attend, first and foremost, to the Experience Gap—the gap between students’ experiences in different communities, schools, and classrooms.     Effectively addressing the Experience Gap is no easy task, as it necessitates we engage in courageous conversations about such complex issues as equity, equality and social justice. It demands we unpack interconnected gaps operating within our school and social systems.   The Understanding Gap   The mosaic of cognitive profiles within a school creates a rich tapestry of minds. Ensuring that each of those minds has equal access to challenges and successes that enhance their understanding (and the ability to apply that understanding in novel contexts) should compel us toward more innovative and nuanced approaches to designing learning environments.  Educators must have the flexibility to get to know students—their cultures, aspirations, and neurodevelopmental profiles—and adapt curricula to engage students in activities meaningful to their world. Cognitively and culturally responsive institutions of learning build bridges to understanding.   We might ask:  How can we increase student exposure to experiences that build on their strengths and nurture their understanding of the world? What experiences might inspire students to learn more?   The Stability Gap   Too often, our most impoverished schools have the highest turn over rates of teachers and leaders. The result? An unpredictability within the school that’s often compounded by instability in the neighborhoods surrounding it. By contrast, schools in higher socio-economic status neighborhoods boast lower turn over rates and greater stability.     While school systems are generally ill equipped to address out-of-school factors, they can—given the right vision, support, and adaptive leadership—attend to in-school factors.   We might ask: What will attract and keep teachers and leaders who are intellectually stimulated, emotionally motivated, and professionally committed to the schools that need them the most?   What amount of autonomy will encourage teachers to cultivate and maintain meaningful relationships with students, parents, and community members? How do we best develop and empower teachers and leaders to effectively and sustainably meet the needs of these learning communities?   Whole Child Gap   “Achievement” is contingent on student well-being. The learning experiences of students in a kindergarten class of 18 with integrated play, arts, and academics are far different than students in a class of 42 where there is no AC or enough chairs. If we can find hundreds of millions for elections, surely we can find the resources to nourish the whole child in neighborhoods that need it most.     We might ask: What might schools look like in which each and every student is healthy, safe, engaged, challenged, and supported? What services do students in low SES communities need more of and how can we better deliver them?   When we talk about the Achievement Gap, we are really talking about a collection of gaps related to equity and equality, the Experience Gap chief among them. Failing to acknowledge and address the varying experiences students have—school to school, class to class, community to community—practically guarantees that the Achievement Gap will continue. Or more importantly, it will continue to send the wrong message to students about how much we value their learning, humanity, and well-being.   It may be time to consider another set of “Common Cores” that focus on transformational practices that cultivate culturally and cognitively responsive learning communities. While these won’t be enough to overcome poverty in and of themselves, I believe they are enough to help move us closer toward ensuring that each and every student has equal access to programs that meet them where they are, and build on their strengths from there.   This piece was originally posted at Smartbrief on Education.    Image: Eat Bitter We debate testing, tenure, and “great teachers” ad nauseum. We one up each other over who is putting students more first than anyone else. We parse choice, accountability, and common core until we can barely stand one another.   We do this, not because we are gluttons for punishment, but because we know learning matters, and despite any finger pointing we might do along the way, we all want each and every student to experience learning that transforms.     However, lost among the din of our discourse on outcomes are the day-to-day experiences students have in our nation’s schools (be they private, public, or charter), experiences that are, in far too many cases, separate and not equal.   Taken collectively, these experiences shape student “achievement” (which is crudely defined by standardized test scores and value added models). Any attempt to close the achievement gap requires that we attend, first and foremost, to the Experience Gap—the gap between students’ experiences in different communities, schools, and classrooms.     Effectively addressing the Experience Gap is no easy task, as it necessitates we engage in courageous conversations about such complex issues as equity, equality and social justice. It demands we unpack interconnected gaps operating within our school and social systems.   The Understanding Gap   The mosaic of cognitive profiles within a school creates a rich tapestry of minds. Ensuring that each of those minds has equal access to challenges and successes that enhance their understanding (and the ability to apply that understanding in novel contexts) should compel us toward more innovative and nuanced approaches to designing learning environments.  Educators must have the flexibility to get to know students—their cultures, aspirations, and neurodevelopmental profiles—and adapt curricula to engage students in activities meaningful to their world. Cognitively and culturally responsive institutions of learning build bridges to understanding.   We might ask:  How can we increase student exposure to experiences that build on their strengths and nurture their understanding of the world? What experiences might inspire students to learn more?   The Stability Gap   Too often, our most impoverished schools have the highest turn over rates of teachers and leaders. The result? An unpredictability within the school that’s often compounded by instability in the neighborhoods surrounding it. By contrast, schools in higher socio-economic status neighborhoods boast lower turn over rates and greater stability.     While school systems are generally ill equipped to address out-of-school factors, they can—given the right vision, support, and adaptive leadership—attend to in-school factors.   We might ask: What will attract and keep teachers and leaders who are intellectually stimulated, emotionally motivated, and professionally committed to the schools that need them the most?   What amount of autonomy will encourage teachers to cultivate and maintain meaningful relationships with students, parents, and community members? How do we best develop and empower teachers and leaders to effectively and sustainably meet the needs of these learning communities?   Whole Child Gap   “Achievement” is contingent on student well-being. The learning experiences of students in a kindergarten class of 18 with integrated play, arts, and academics are far different than students in a class of 42 where there is no AC or enough chairs. If we can find hundreds of millions for elections, surely we can find the resources to nourish the whole child in neighborhoods that need it most.     We might ask: What might schools look like in which each and every student is healthy, safe, engaged, challenged, and supported? What services do students in low SES communities need more of and how can we better deliver them?   When we talk about the Achievement Gap, we are really talking about a collection of gaps related to equity and equality, the Experience Gap chief among them. Failing to acknowledge and address the varying experiences students have—school to school, class to class, community to community—practically guarantees that the Achievement Gap will continue. Or more importantly, it will continue to send the wrong message to students about how much we value their learning, humanity, and well-being.   It may be time to consider another set of “Common Cores” that focus on transformational practices that cultivate culturally and cognitively responsive learning communities. While these won’t be enough to overcome poverty in and of themselves, I believe they are enough to help move us closer toward ensuring that each and every student has equal access to programs that meet them where they are, and build on their strengths from there.   This piece was originally posted at Smartbrief on Education.    Image: Eat Bitter Wed, 03 Oct 2012 18:54:04 GMT http://edge.ascd.org/_What-we-talk-about-when-we-talk-about-gaps/blog/6379673/127586.html Jason_Flom 2012-10-03T18:54:04Z ASCD EDge We debate testing, tenure, and “great teachers” ad nauseum. We one up each other over who is putting students more first than anyone else. We parse choice, accountability, and common core until we can barely stand one another.   We do this, not because we are gluttons for punishment, but because we know learning matters, and despite any finger pointing we might do along the way, we all want each and every student to experience learning that transforms.     However, lost among the din of our discourse on outcomes are the day-to-day experiences students have in our nation’s schools (be they private, public, or charter), experiences that are, in far too many cases, separate and not equal.   Taken collectively, these experiences shape student “achievement” (which is crudely defined by standardized test scores and value added models). Any attempt to close the achievement gap requires that we attend, first and foremost, to the Experience Gap—the gap between students’ experiences in different communities, schools, and classrooms.     Effectively addressing the Experience Gap is no easy task, as it necessitates we engage in courageous conversations about such complex issues as equity, equality and social justice. It demands we unpack interconnected gaps operating within our school and social systems.   The Understanding Gap   The mosaic of cognitive profiles within a school creates a rich tapestry of minds. Ensuring that each of those minds has equal access to challenges and successes that enhance their understanding (and the ability to apply that understanding in novel contexts) should compel us toward more innovative and nuanced approaches to designing learning environments.  Educators must have the flexibility to get to know students—their cultures, aspirations, and neurodevelopmental profiles—and adapt curricula to engage students in activities meaningful to their world. Cognitively and culturally responsive institutions of learning build bridges to understanding.   We might ask:  How can we increase student exposure to experiences that build on their strengths and nurture their understanding of the world? What experiences might inspire students to learn more?   The Stability Gap   Too often, our most impoverished schools have the highest turn over rates of teachers and leaders. The result? An unpredictability within the school that’s often compounded by instability in the neighborhoods surrounding it. By contrast, schools in higher socio-economic status neighborhoods boast lower turn over rates and greater stability.     While school systems are generally ill equipped to address out-of-school factors, they can—given the right vision, support, and adaptive leadership—attend to in-school factors.   We might ask: What will attract and keep teachers and leaders who are intellectually stimulated, emotionally motivated, and professionally committed to the schools that need them the most?   What amount of autonomy will encourage teachers to cultivate and maintain meaningful relationships with students, parents, and community members? How do we best develop and empower teachers and leaders to effectively and sustainably meet the needs of these learning communities?   Whole Child Gap   “Achievement” is contingent on student well-being. The learning experiences of students in a kindergarten class of 18 with integrated play, arts, and academics are far different than students in a class of 42 where there is no AC or enough chairs. If we can find hundreds of millions for elections, surely we can find the resources to nourish the whole child in neighborhoods that need it most.     We might ask: What might schools look like in which each and every student is healthy, safe, engaged, challenged, and supported? What services do students in low SES communities need more of and how can we better deliver them?   When we talk about the Achievement Gap, we are really talking about a collection of gaps related to equity and equality, the Experience Gap chief among them. Failing to acknowledge and address the varying experiences students have—school to school, class to class, community to community—practically guarantees that the Achievement Gap will continue. Or more importantly, it will continue to send the wrong message to students about how much we value their learning, humanity, and well-being.   It may be time to consider another set of “Common Cores” that focus on transformational practices that cultivate culturally and cognitively responsive learning communities. While these won’t be enough to overcome poverty in and of themselves, I believe they are enough to help move us closer toward ensuring that each and every student has equal access to programs that meet them where they are, and build on their strengths from there.   This piece was originally posted at Smartbrief on Education.    Image: Eat Bitter achievement gap, common core, edreform, education, education policy, education reform, equality, equity, experience gap, learning, poverty, urban nonadult false What we talk about when we talk about gaps text blog achievement gap,common core,edreform,education,education policy,education reform,equality,equity,experience gap,learning,poverty,urban 1414 11 5.0 http://edge.ascd.org/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=20433736&as=127586 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/127586/photos/PHOTO_7766452_127586_20433736_ap_160X120.jpg false United States FL Tallahassee 2 0 6379673 20433736 ASCD EDge Member 414 http://edge.ascd.org/_Learned-InHumanity/blog/6346477/127586.html [image]While in DC this past week for the Bammy Awards I had the chance to tour the Holocaust Museum with a few colleagues. It was powerful, moving, and saddening. I left convinced more than ever that what we do matters, and matters mightily.    Wandering the beautifully and hauntingly constructed museum, the visceral taste of blind bigotry seared images of horrific suffering deep in my brain and heart. I wept for the children, mothers, fathers, grandparents, friendships, communities, and cultures torn asunder by cold-blooded intolerance and ignorance. I wept for the pain of the survivors, and more for the fear and suffering of the mothers and grandmothers, shorn of clothes, holding their babes and children, and crammed into gas chambers where choking, noxious, claustrophobic death awaited.    We can be horrible, us humans.    It is no wonder that, as a race, we continue to grapple with the genocide of the Holocaust--to understand humanity in the absence of humanity and hopefully cull from it what wisdom we can. As we explored the hallowed monument to a people's suffering, I was reminded of a quote from Haim Ginott, Holocaust survivor. Dear Teacher, I am a survivor of a concentration camp. My eyes saw what no man should witness.  Gas chambers built by LEARNED engineers, children poisoned by EDUCATED physicians; infants killed by TRAINED nurses, women and babies shot and burned by HIGH SCHOOL and COLLEGE graduates.   So I am suspicious of education. My request is: help your students become human. Your efforts must never produce monsters, skilled psychopaths, educated Eichmann's. Reading, writing and arithmetic are important only if they serve to make our children more humane.    As we move forward and think about putting students first, I want to remember those who've suffered under the learned, the educated, and the unenlightened. If we endeavor for anything in our schools and learning communities, it seems imperative that we first and foremost strive for equity, equality, and justice for all.    Tolerance, compassion, and the steadfast cultivation of moral courage must be the common core of our learning communities, across the nation, and around the world, if we are to adequately remember those who've suffered such atrocities.    This piece was originally posted at Ecology of Education. Image: Michael Brenenbaum [image]While in DC this past week for the Bammy Awards I had the chance to tour the Holocaust Museum with a few colleagues. It was powerful, moving, and saddening. I left convinced more than ever that what we do matters, and matters mightily.    Wandering the beautifully and hauntingly constructed museum, the visceral taste of blind bigotry seared images of horrific suffering deep in my brain and heart. I wept for the children, mothers, fathers, grandparents, friendships, communities, and cultures torn asunder by cold-blooded intolerance and ignorance. I wept for the pain of the survivors, and more for the fear and suffering of the mothers and grandmothers, shorn of clothes, holding their babes and children, and crammed into gas chambers where choking, noxious, claustrophobic death awaited.    We can be horrible, us humans.    It is no wonder that, as a race, we continue to grapple with the genocide of the Holocaust--to understand humanity in the absence of humanity and hopefully cull from it what wisdom we can. As we explored the hallowed monument to a people's suffering, I was reminded of a quote from Haim Ginott, Holocaust survivor. Dear Teacher, I am a survivor of a concentration camp. My eyes saw what no man should witness.  Gas chambers built by LEARNED engineers, children poisoned by EDUCATED physicians; infants killed by TRAINED nurses, women and babies shot and burned by HIGH SCHOOL and COLLEGE graduates.   So I am suspicious of education. My request is: help your students become human. Your efforts must never produce monsters, skilled psychopaths, educated Eichmann's. Reading, writing and arithmetic are important only if they serve to make our children more humane.    As we move forward and think about putting students first, I want to remember those who've suffered under the learned, the educated, and the unenlightened. If we endeavor for anything in our schools and learning communities, it seems imperative that we first and foremost strive for equity, equality, and justice for all.    Tolerance, compassion, and the steadfast cultivation of moral courage must be the common core of our learning communities, across the nation, and around the world, if we are to adequately remember those who've suffered such atrocities.    This piece was originally posted at Ecology of Education. Image: Michael Brenenbaum Wed, 19 Sep 2012 15:22:51 GMT http://edge.ascd.org/_Learned-InHumanity/blog/6346477/127586.html Jason_Flom 2012-09-17T15:29:32Z ASCD EDge [image]While in DC this past week for the Bammy Awards I had the chance to tour the Holocaust Museum with a few colleagues. It was powerful, moving, and saddening. I left convinced more than ever that what we do matters, and matters mightily.    Wandering the beautifully and hauntingly constructed museum, the visceral taste of blind bigotry seared images of horrific suffering deep in my brain and heart. I wept for the children, mothers, fathers, grandparents, friendships, communities, and cultures torn asunder by cold-blooded intolerance and ignorance. I wept for the pain of the survivors, and more for the fear and suffering of the mothers and grandmothers, shorn of clothes, holding their babes and children, and crammed into gas chambers where choking, noxious, claustrophobic death awaited.    We can be horrible, us humans.    It is no wonder that, as a race, we continue to grapple with the genocide of the Holocaust--to understand humanity in the absence of humanity and hopefully cull from it what wisdom we can. As we explored the hallowed monument to a people's suffering, I was reminded of a quote from Haim Ginott, Holocaust survivor. Dear Teacher, I am a survivor of a concentration camp. My eyes saw what no man should witness.  Gas chambers built by LEARNED engineers, children poisoned by EDUCATED physicians; infants killed by TRAINED nurses, women and babies shot and burned by HIGH SCHOOL and COLLEGE graduates.   So I am suspicious of education. My request is: help your students become human. Your efforts must never produce monsters, skilled psychopaths, educated Eichmann's. Reading, writing and arithmetic are important only if they serve to make our children more humane.    As we move forward and think about putting students first, I want to remember those who've suffered under the learned, the educated, and the unenlightened. If we endeavor for anything in our schools and learning communities, it seems imperative that we first and foremost strive for equity, equality, and justice for all.    Tolerance, compassion, and the steadfast cultivation of moral courage must be the common core of our learning communities, across the nation, and around the world, if we are to adequately remember those who've suffered such atrocities.    This piece was originally posted at Ecology of Education. Image: Michael Brenenbaum character, common core, equality, equity, holocaust, humanity, learning, moral courage nonadult false Learned (In)Humanity text blog character,common core,equality,equity,holocaust,humanity,learning,moral courage 936 10 5.0 http://edge.ascd.org/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=20433736&as=127586 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/127586/photos/PHOTO_7766452_127586_20433736_ap_160X120.jpg false United States FL Tallahassee 0 0 6346477 20433736 ASCD EDge Member 414 http://edge.ascd.org/_Enduring-Trend-Blissful-Environmental-Ignorance/blog/5348219/127586.html We can talk about merit pay, accountability and tenure. We can debate (endlessly it seems) students first, testing, failing schools, poverty and unions. We can go toe to toe over the value of choice, charters and vouchers. PISA, Finland, Arne and Rhee. Ravitch, Race to the Top and common core. All worthwhile conversations. And necessary.   And perhaps moot.   The elephant in the room of education reform: Sustainability.   While we haggle over evolution and intelligent design, revisionist history texts and the best way to grade and fire teachers, there is a larger beast afoot: The increasing global instability caused by (and/or exacerbated by) climate change.   Were we hunter gatherers, this might not be much of an issue. We could simply gather up camp and follow the mouth watering scent of big, tasty mammals. A bit warmer here? A bit cooler there? No big deal. Heck, we might even appreciate a few more roasty-toasty days. "It's only the spring equinox and it's already time to break out my summer loin cloth, dear. And look, the ocean is closer than it was yesterday! Let's go nab some fish." But we aren't hunter gatherers. (Unless hunting for sales and gathering coupons counts. Which may explain why we are only peripherally aware of warning signs so large we almost can't see them.)   Black swan events have almost become routine. We practically don't even notice them anymore. "Another one hundred year flood of the Mississippi? Ho hum.  Monster hurricane? Yawn. Obscenely enormous tornado devastates entire city? Been there, done that." And that is just here in the states.   Take a peek beyond our borders and the trend continues: droughts, heat waves, blizzards, monsoons -- all breaking records at an alarming rate. When athletes annihilate records at a break neck pace we suspect The Juice, and congressional meetings ensue. When the planet breaks meteorological records at the same rate, we implement standardized tests and line up to buy Priuses.   Unfortunately, the Purchase-A-Bunch-of-"Green"-Stuff Solution will not suffice. We can't buy our way to a more sustainable planet. We may have to go so far as to -- eek, eek -- educate our youth; and not just in how live more sustainably, but in how to assess and adapt in a rapidly changing environment. Or, more simply, how to: Learn. Apply. Repeat.   In an article in the New York Times, "A Warming Planet Struggles to Feed Itself," Justin Gillis unpacks some of the myriad factors currently affecting the global food supply and hints at potential calamities coming to a destabilized ecosystem near you. It is not a pretty picture. In fact, for people in developing countries, it is absolutely bleak. With over 900 million people (NEARLY 1 BILLION!) already lacking access to clean water and adequate food, and the population set to hit 10 billion well before the end of the century, and more fantastically gigantic natural disasters sure to come, we must ready ourselves, or at least our students.   And our education system.   Scholarship and the Environment   I'm a fan of reading, 'riting and 'rithmetic. All are important. As is STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics). I'm also a fan of standards. I like knowing what students should be able to do, as long as the standards don't limit learning and growth.   However, more so than the skill achievements quantifiable by a company's question bank and bubble sheets, I'm a fan of doing, engaging and tackling. I want to see my students wrestling with issues beyond them and larger than life.   When the Gulf Oil spill happened, we teamed with an FSU marine biologist to help conduct baseline mole crab surveys in the event the oil made it this far.   We couldn't stop the spewing gas, but dag-nab-it, we could take the learning opportunity and squeeze it for all its worth.   Did we meet standards? You betcha. Did we read, 'rite and do 'rithemetic? You betcha. Did we apply the scientific method in a relevant context, analyze data and investigate systems? You betcha.   More important than all of that, however, is that students made connections between scholarship and the environment. They investigated a local ecosystem and increased their knowledge of the many dynamics at play while also sensing the unquantifiable value of an unspoiled stretch of nature. We need more of that. Students must become experts in the land we have and architects of the Earth they want.   This won't happen through test prep and bubble sheets, text books and number 2's, or sentence diagrams and grammar worksheets.   Students need to get their hands dirty. They need to experience where their food comes from, where their poop goes and what it actually means to live on a cup of rice for a day. They need to feel and learn about the profound connection between dirt and life. We need an education system that gives students transformative and empowering experiences that bring them face to face with the delicate balance between the environment and humanity.   If climate change predictions are correct (and I'm believe they are), oceans and temperatures will rise; droughts, floods and storms will increase; and lives will be disrupted.   People will suffer. People will die. One of them could be one of my girls. One of them could be one of yours.   Our children must learn how to live on this planet sustainably, with everyone, peacefully. Everything else is just blissful white noise. Image: Mindware We can talk about merit pay, accountability and tenure. We can debate (endlessly it seems) students first, testing, failing schools, poverty and unions. We can go toe to toe over the value of choice, charters and vouchers. PISA, Finland, Arne and Rhee. Ravitch, Race to the Top and common core. All worthwhile conversations. And necessary.   And perhaps moot.   The elephant in the room of education reform: Sustainability.   While we haggle over evolution and intelligent design, revisionist history texts and the best way to grade and fire teachers, there is a larger beast afoot: The increasing global instability caused by (and/or exacerbated by) climate change.   Were we hunter gatherers, this might not be much of an issue. We could simply gather up camp and follow the mouth watering scent of big, tasty mammals. A bit warmer here? A bit cooler there? No big deal. Heck, we might even appreciate a few more roasty-toasty days. "It's only the spring equinox and it's already time to break out my summer loin cloth, dear. And look, the ocean is closer than it was yesterday! Let's go nab some fish." But we aren't hunter gatherers. (Unless hunting for sales and gathering coupons counts. Which may explain why we are only peripherally aware of warning signs so large we almost can't see them.)   Black swan events have almost become routine. We practically don't even notice them anymore. "Another one hundred year flood of the Mississippi? Ho hum.  Monster hurricane? Yawn. Obscenely enormous tornado devastates entire city? Been there, done that." And that is just here in the states.   Take a peek beyond our borders and the trend continues: droughts, heat waves, blizzards, monsoons -- all breaking records at an alarming rate. When athletes annihilate records at a break neck pace we suspect The Juice, and congressional meetings ensue. When the planet breaks meteorological records at the same rate, we implement standardized tests and line up to buy Priuses.   Unfortunately, the Purchase-A-Bunch-of-"Green"-Stuff Solution will not suffice. We can't buy our way to a more sustainable planet. We may have to go so far as to -- eek, eek -- educate our youth; and not just in how live more sustainably, but in how to assess and adapt in a rapidly changing environment. Or, more simply, how to: Learn. Apply. Repeat.   In an article in the New York Times, "A Warming Planet Struggles to Feed Itself," Justin Gillis unpacks some of the myriad factors currently affecting the global food supply and hints at potential calamities coming to a destabilized ecosystem near you. It is not a pretty picture. In fact, for people in developing countries, it is absolutely bleak. With over 900 million people (NEARLY 1 BILLION!) already lacking access to clean water and adequate food, and the population set to hit 10 billion well before the end of the century, and more fantastically gigantic natural disasters sure to come, we must ready ourselves, or at least our students.   And our education system.   Scholarship and the Environment   I'm a fan of reading, 'riting and 'rithmetic. All are important. As is STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics). I'm also a fan of standards. I like knowing what students should be able to do, as long as the standards don't limit learning and growth.   However, more so than the skill achievements quantifiable by a company's question bank and bubble sheets, I'm a fan of doing, engaging and tackling. I want to see my students wrestling with issues beyond them and larger than life.   When the Gulf Oil spill happened, we teamed with an FSU marine biologist to help conduct baseline mole crab surveys in the event the oil made it this far.   We couldn't stop the spewing gas, but dag-nab-it, we could take the learning opportunity and squeeze it for all its worth.   Did we meet standards? You betcha. Did we read, 'rite and do 'rithemetic? You betcha. Did we apply the scientific method in a relevant context, analyze data and investigate systems? You betcha.   More important than all of that, however, is that students made connections between scholarship and the environment. They investigated a local ecosystem and increased their knowledge of the many dynamics at play while also sensing the unquantifiable value of an unspoiled stretch of nature. We need more of that. Students must become experts in the land we have and architects of the Earth they want.   This won't happen through test prep and bubble sheets, text books and number 2's, or sentence diagrams and grammar worksheets.   Students need to get their hands dirty. They need to experience where their food comes from, where their poop goes and what it actually means to live on a cup of rice for a day. They need to feel and learn about the profound connection between dirt and life. We need an education system that gives students transformative and empowering experiences that bring them face to face with the delicate balance between the environment and humanity.   If climate change predictions are correct (and I'm believe they are), oceans and temperatures will rise; droughts, floods and storms will increase; and lives will be disrupted.   People will suffer. People will die. One of them could be one of my girls. One of them could be one of yours.   Our children must learn how to live on this planet sustainably, with everyone, peacefully. Everything else is just blissful white noise. Image: Mindware Thu, 20 Oct 2011 23:52:30 GMT http://edge.ascd.org/_Enduring-Trend-Blissful-Environmental-Ignorance/blog/5348219/127586.html Jason_Flom 2011-10-20T23:52:30Z ASCD EDge We can talk about merit pay, accountability and tenure. We can debate (endlessly it seems) students first, testing, failing schools, poverty and unions. We can go toe to toe over the value of choice, charters and vouchers. PISA, Finland, Arne and Rhee. Ravitch, Race to the Top and common core. All worthwhile conversations. And necessary.   And perhaps moot.   The elephant in the room of education reform: Sustainability.   While we haggle over evolution and intelligent design, revisionist history texts and the best way to grade and fire teachers, there is a larger beast afoot: The increasing global instability caused by (and/or exacerbated by) climate change.   Were we hunter gatherers, this might not be much of an issue. We could simply gather up camp and follow the mouth watering scent of big, tasty mammals. A bit warmer here? A bit cooler there? No big deal. Heck, we might even appreciate a few more roasty-toasty days. "It's only the spring equinox and it's already time to break out my summer loin cloth, dear. And look, the ocean is closer than it was yesterday! Let's go nab some fish." But we aren't hunter gatherers. (Unless hunting for sales and gathering coupons counts. Which may explain why we are only peripherally aware of warning signs so large we almost can't see them.)   Black swan events have almost become routine. We practically don't even notice them anymore. "Another one hundred year flood of the Mississippi? Ho hum.  Monster hurricane? Yawn. Obscenely enormous tornado devastates entire city? Been there, done that." And that is just here in the states.   Take a peek beyond our borders and the trend continues: droughts, heat waves, blizzards, monsoons -- all breaking records at an alarming rate. When athletes annihilate records at a break neck pace we suspect The Juice, and congressional meetings ensue. When the planet breaks meteorological records at the same rate, we implement standardized tests and line up to buy Priuses.   Unfortunately, the Purchase-A-Bunch-of-"Green"-Stuff Solution will not suffice. We can't buy our way to a more sustainable planet. We may have to go so far as to -- eek, eek -- educate our youth; and not just in how live more sustainably, but in how to assess and adapt in a rapidly changing environment. Or, more simply, how to: Learn. Apply. Repeat.   In an article in the New York Times, "A Warming Planet Struggles to Feed Itself," Justin Gillis unpacks some of the myriad factors currently affecting the global food supply and hints at potential calamities coming to a destabilized ecosystem near you. It is not a pretty picture. In fact, for people in developing countries, it is absolutely bleak. With over 900 million people (NEARLY 1 BILLION!) already lacking access to clean water and adequate food, and the population set to hit 10 billion well before the end of the century, and more fantastically gigantic natural disasters sure to come, we must ready ourselves, or at least our students.   And our education system.   Scholarship and the Environment   I'm a fan of reading, 'riting and 'rithmetic. All are important. As is STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics). I'm also a fan of standards. I like knowing what students should be able to do, as long as the standards don't limit learning and growth.   However, more so than the skill achievements quantifiable by a company's question bank and bubble sheets, I'm a fan of doing, engaging and tackling. I want to see my students wrestling with issues beyond them and larger than life.   When the Gulf Oil spill happened, we teamed with an FSU marine biologist to help conduct baseline mole crab surveys in the event the oil made it this far.   We couldn't stop the spewing gas, but dag-nab-it, we could take the learning opportunity and squeeze it for all its worth.   Did we meet standards? You betcha. Did we read, 'rite and do 'rithemetic? You betcha. Did we apply the scientific method in a relevant context, analyze data and investigate systems? You betcha.   More important than all of that, however, is that students made connections between scholarship and the environment. They investigated a local ecosystem and increased their knowledge of the many dynamics at play while also sensing the unquantifiable value of an unspoiled stretch of nature. We need more of that. Students must become experts in the land we have and architects of the Earth they want.   This won't happen through test prep and bubble sheets, text books and number 2's, or sentence diagrams and grammar worksheets.   Students need to get their hands dirty. They need to experience where their food comes from, where their poop goes and what it actually means to live on a cup of rice for a day. They need to feel and learn about the profound connection between dirt and life. We need an education system that gives students transformative and empowering experiences that bring them face to face with the delicate balance between the environment and humanity.   If climate change predictions are correct (and I'm believe they are), oceans and temperatures will rise; droughts, floods and storms will increase; and lives will be disrupted.   People will suffer. People will die. One of them could be one of my girls. One of them could be one of yours.   Our children must learn how to live on this planet sustainably, with everyone, peacefully. Everything else is just blissful white noise. Image: Mindware climate change, education reform, environmental education, farming, food, global warming, learning, sustainability, teaching nonadult false Enduring Trend: Blissful (Environmental) Ignorance text blog climate change,education reform,environmental education,farming,food,global warming,learning,sustainability,teaching 1193 10 5.0 http://edge.ascd.org/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=20433736&as=127586 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/127586/photos/PHOTO_7766452_127586_20433736_ap_160X120.jpg false United States FL Tallahassee 2 0 5348219 20433736 ASCD EDge Member 414 http://edge.ascd.org/_Emerging-Trend-Educating-for-Humanity/blog/5108347/127586.html In a faculty meeting this week, a colleague shared the following Holocaust survivor letter with us. Dear Teacher, I am a survivor of a concentration camp. My eyes saw what no man should witness:  Gas chambers built by learned engineers. Children poisoned by educated physicians. Infants killed by trained nurses. Women and babies shot and burned by high school and college graduates. So I am suspicious of education. My request is: Help your students become human. Your efforts must never produce learned monsters, skilled psychopaths, educated Eichmanns. Reading, writing, arithmetic are important only if they serve to make our children more human. It is a powerful reminder that real learning is more than the sum of its parts. We can teach reading, ‘riting, and ‘rithmetic, but without the larger context of humanity we fall short of our responsibility to cultivate life long learners who are reflective humans. So how do we create learning environments that not only teach basic skills but lead to transformative learning experiences that stand the test of time? In a recent New York Times article titled, “School Curriculum Falls Short on Bigger Lessons,” Tara Parker-Hope quotes Dr. Kenneth R. Ginsburg from Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia: “What are we really trying to do when we think about raising kids? . . . We’re trying to put in place the ingredients so the child is going to be a successful 35-year-old. It’s not really about getting an A in algebra.” Ms. Parker-Hope goes on to write: In one set of studies, children who solved math puzzles were praised [either] for their intelligence or for their hard work. The first group actually did worse on subsequent tests, or took an easy way out, shunning difficult problems. The research suggests that praise for a good effort encourages harder work, while children who are consistently told they are smart do not know what to do when confronted with a difficult problem or reading assignment. Such research has broad and far-reaching ramifications when it comes to how we challenge, encourage and respond to our students and children. Inadvertently or not, we play an important role in how they see themselves, the world and their place in it. As a community dedicated to the best interests of students, we wonder, how do we best praise our students and children? What language do we use that students then use with each other? And what subtle (or not so subtle) messages are we sending them when we say something as seemingly complimentary and innocuous as “You’re so smart”?   These sort of reflections are why students, from preschool through graduation, should find themselves engaged in experiences that not only build their basic skills, but purposefully help them understand that intelligence is not fixed. It can be shaped, molded, built and grown through effort and reflection. It can also be applied to make the world a better place.   Perhaps when we focus on the small moments with our students and children, we find the levers that will help ensure they graduate as learned individuals as well as compassionate humans. Image: imet  In a faculty meeting this week, a colleague shared the following Holocaust survivor letter with us. Dear Teacher, I am a survivor of a concentration camp. My eyes saw what no man should witness:  Gas chambers built by learned engineers. Children poisoned by educated physicians. Infants killed by trained nurses. Women and babies shot and burned by high school and college graduates. So I am suspicious of education. My request is: Help your students become human. Your efforts must never produce learned monsters, skilled psychopaths, educated Eichmanns. Reading, writing, arithmetic are important only if they serve to make our children more human. It is a powerful reminder that real learning is more than the sum of its parts. We can teach reading, ‘riting, and ‘rithmetic, but without the larger context of humanity we fall short of our responsibility to cultivate life long learners who are reflective humans. So how do we create learning environments that not only teach basic skills but lead to transformative learning experiences that stand the test of time? In a recent New York Times article titled, “School Curriculum Falls Short on Bigger Lessons,” Tara Parker-Hope quotes Dr. Kenneth R. Ginsburg from Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia: “What are we really trying to do when we think about raising kids? . . . We’re trying to put in place the ingredients so the child is going to be a successful 35-year-old. It’s not really about getting an A in algebra.” Ms. Parker-Hope goes on to write: In one set of studies, children who solved math puzzles were praised [either] for their intelligence or for their hard work. The first group actually did worse on subsequent tests, or took an easy way out, shunning difficult problems. The research suggests that praise for a good effort encourages harder work, while children who are consistently told they are smart do not know what to do when confronted with a difficult problem or reading assignment. Such research has broad and far-reaching ramifications when it comes to how we challenge, encourage and respond to our students and children. Inadvertently or not, we play an important role in how they see themselves, the world and their place in it. As a community dedicated to the best interests of students, we wonder, how do we best praise our students and children? What language do we use that students then use with each other? And what subtle (or not so subtle) messages are we sending them when we say something as seemingly complimentary and innocuous as “You’re so smart”?   These sort of reflections are why students, from preschool through graduation, should find themselves engaged in experiences that not only build their basic skills, but purposefully help them understand that intelligence is not fixed. It can be shaped, molded, built and grown through effort and reflection. It can also be applied to make the world a better place.   Perhaps when we focus on the small moments with our students and children, we find the levers that will help ensure they graduate as learned individuals as well as compassionate humans. Image: imet  Tue, 13 Sep 2011 16:09:58 GMT http://edge.ascd.org/_Emerging-Trend-Educating-for-Humanity/blog/5108347/127586.html Jason_Flom 2011-09-13T16:09:58Z Blogs ASCD EDge In a faculty meeting this week, a colleague shared the following Holocaust survivor letter with us. Dear Teacher, I am a survivor of a concentration camp. My eyes saw what no man should witness:  Gas chambers built by learned engineers. Children poisoned by educated physicians. Infants killed by trained nurses. Women and babies shot and burned by high school and college graduates. So I am suspicious of education. My request is: Help your students become human. Your efforts must never produce learned monsters, skilled psychopaths, educated Eichmanns. Reading, writing, arithmetic are important only if they serve to make our children more human. It is a powerful reminder that real learning is more than the sum of its parts. We can teach reading, ‘riting, and ‘rithmetic, but without the larger context of humanity we fall short of our responsibility to cultivate life long learners who are reflective humans. So how do we create learning environments that not only teach basic skills but lead to transformative learning experiences that stand the test of time? In a recent New York Times article titled, “School Curriculum Falls Short on Bigger Lessons,” Tara Parker-Hope quotes Dr. Kenneth R. Ginsburg from Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia: “What are we really trying to do when we think about raising kids? . . . We’re trying to put in place the ingredients so the child is going to be a successful 35-year-old. It’s not really about getting an A in algebra.” Ms. Parker-Hope goes on to write: In one set of studies, children who solved math puzzles were praised [either] for their intelligence or for their hard work. The first group actually did worse on subsequent tests, or took an easy way out, shunning difficult problems. The research suggests that praise for a good effort encourages harder work, while children who are consistently told they are smart do not know what to do when confronted with a difficult problem or reading assignment. Such research has broad and far-reaching ramifications when it comes to how we challenge, encourage and respond to our students and children. Inadvertently or not, we play an important role in how they see themselves, the world and their place in it. As a community dedicated to the best interests of students, we wonder, how do we best praise our students and children? What language do we use that students then use with each other? And what subtle (or not so subtle) messages are we sending them when we say something as seemingly complimentary and innocuous as “You’re so smart”?   These sort of reflections are why students, from preschool through graduation, should find themselves engaged in experiences that not only build their basic skills, but purposefully help them understand that intelligence is not fixed. It can be shaped, molded, built and grown through effort and reflection. It can also be applied to make the world a better place.   Perhaps when we focus on the small moments with our students and children, we find the levers that will help ensure they graduate as learned individuals as well as compassionate humans. Image: imet  blogs, education, holocaust, humanity, students, teaching nonadult false Emerging Trend: Educating for Humanity text blog blogs,education,holocaust,humanity,students,teaching 2402 10 5.0 http://edge.ascd.org/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=20433736&as=127586 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/127586/photos/PHOTO_7766452_127586_20433736_ap_160X120.jpg false United States FL Tallahassee 4 Blogs 0 5108347 20433736 ASCD EDge Member 414 http://edge.ascd.org/_Using-Social-Media-to-Brand-Your-Education-Organization/blog/4955453/127586.html Using Social Media to Brand Your Organization View more presentations from Cornerstone Learning Community Using Social Media to Brand Your Organization View more presentations from Cornerstone Learning Community Mon, 25 Jul 2011 21:17:42 GMT http://edge.ascd.org/_Using-Social-Media-to-Brand-Your-Education-Organization/blog/4955453/127586.html Jason_Flom 2011-07-25T21:17:42Z ASCD EDge Using Social Media to Brand Your Organization View more presentations from Cornerstone Learning Community 2.0, branding, communication, media, social, web nonadult false Using Social Media to Brand Your (Education) Organization text blog 2.0,branding,communication,media,social,web 391 10 5.0 http://edge.ascd.org/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=20433736&as=127586 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/127586/photos/PHOTO_7766452_127586_20433736_ap_160X120.jpg false United States FL Tallahassee 0 0 4955453 20433736 ASCD EDge Member 414 http://edge.ascd.org/_Congressional-Gap-Bridging-the-Lawmaker-to-Student-Divide/blog/3280720/127586.html After one plane ticket, two days of substitute lesson plans, several hundred dollars in hotel costs, 12 hours of travel, 24 hours of info cramming and 48 hours of nervous stress, all for 2.5 hours of talking to the aides of four Florida congressmen and one senator, I'm left wondering, "Was LILA worth it? Was it worth the time, money and effort? Did I make a difference?"   If so, shouldn't I be filled with a sense of accomplishment and pride? Shouldn't I have a sense that I positively influenced the world, that students, teachers, schools, districts, and, in fact, the whole darn state of Florida are better because I participated in ASCD's Leadership Initiative for Legislative Advocacy (LILA) along with 130 other educators and education leaders from across the country?   Shouldn't the clouds be parting and angels singing?  Shouldn't producers be knocking down my door pitching a "Mr. Jason Goes to Washington" movie? Shouldn't I have been honored during last night's State of the Union, at least?!   Turns out, changing the world takes a bit more time than showing up once and working my way through some talking points about how to improve teaching and learning in Florida. Or anywhere else for that matter. Laying the Foundation   As a relative beginner in legislative advocacy, I had a lot to learn about the role of the citizen advocate on a federal level, as well as about the myriad issues affecting schools today. And herein lies the beauty of ASCD's legislative conference -- they possess the capacity,  initiative and ambition to not only educate and empower educators, but to lay the foundation for bridging the gap between Capitol Hill and classrooms.   The divide between policymakers and students could not be more pronounced, as anyone whose has suffered under the punitive measures of NCLB can attest. The problem: what passes as effective legislative lingo rarely translates into effective instructional practices once implemented. What sounds good on the floor of the House does not always work where the rubber meets the road -- at the intersection of students and teachers.   Additionally, here's a little secret about how Washington works: a significant portion of the congressional legwork is pulled off by a talented and dedicated corps of staffers, many of whom are young and kid free. Intelligent, ambitious and able, these staffers represent the best of our education system, public or private. Yet, the majority of them are far removed from the realities of the classrooms that most need our support as well as the day to day translation of policy-speak into student learning. Therefore, it is imperative that we connect the legislators' education liaisons and chiefs of staff with information relevant to what works in schools and how that should inform policy.   Enter ASCD and education leaders stage left. LILA brought together teachers, administrators and school board members from 32 states, educated them on the most current education issues with guests such as Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), senate staffer David Johns, National Governor's Association's Education DirectorDane Linn, education funding expert Joel Packer, and media personalities E.J. Dionne of Washington Post and Alyson Klein of Education Week.  While we did not all agree on all of the issues and the recommended solutions by these guests, we all gained valuable insights into the numerous factors affecting education policy today.   Once on Capitol Hill our job was to educate legislators' staffers (and by proxy the legislators themselves) on potential solutions to problems plaguing our schools today. The Value   Many of us bemoan the lack of educators who are brought to the table to help write and enact the policies that directly affect what happnes in our classrooms, schools and districts. We wonder, "Who in the world came up with this and what were they smoking?"   The answer to the latter? Nothing, probably. They just didn't know. No-one told them, or the ones who lobbied their ideas weren't connected meaningfully to classrooms.  As a result, we are left with legislation that fails to achieve the student learning it targeted. It's the equivalent of designing tools to work on cars without talking with the people who actually work on cars or understanding how cars work.   Perhaps Yogi Berra said it best: "In theory there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice there is."   In our meetings, we found the staffers open, thoughtful and generally eager to create connections betwen their bosses and us constituents. As they asked questions and took notes it became apparent that theere's a significant base of experience many of them lack when it comes to teaching, but not when it comes to learning. The fact is, these are high achievers who share stories of teachers who cared about them and challenged them to think.   These staffers, and the "primaries" they work for, want all students to have access to such teachers. They want students to arrive at school ready and able to learn, and for each and every one of their constituents to have equal access to transformative learning experiences. It is from this common ground that we need to build consensus toward improving our schools.   Theoretically. Looking Ahead   There is still a long road between the ideal classroom of Joe Bower and the policies enacted by legislators. Simply showing up once isn't going to improve the glacial pace of congressional action, change policy or inform the debate.   As with teaching, advocacy is built on relationships. This trip to Washington D.C. and the hallowed halls of Capitol Hill is a beginning, not a culmination. For me it was setting the cornerstone for the bridge that connects educators and education leaders with lawmakers and their staff.  It was the beginning of the relationship building process. Most profoundly, it was a revelation that it is up to us to ensure our efforts in the classroom are known and heard by those who represent us. Over and over again. Not for our sake, but for the sake of kids within our sphere of our influence.   We are not going to get everything we want, not by a long shot, but as Wayne Gretzky likes to say, "You miss 100% of the shots you never take." In the end, we are not going to get anything if we are not involved, and no one's going to invite us. We have to show up. Over and over again.   The struggle to create and cultivate the environments that lead to transformative learning experiencess for students in our communities require that we first and foremost engage in the process. Finding common ground will lead to common strengths, but staying on the sidelines will only lead to disappointments and complaints.   If I learned anything at LILA it is this: Either we have a hand in what is being cooked or we are eating what is served, like it or not.   When I look at the kids in my classroom and the teachers in my PLN, I know where I need to be -- helping to construct the bridge between the classroom and the Capitol. With my students in mind, and a vision of a sustainable profession for my colleagues, I know the answer to the question, "Was LILA worth it?"   Definitely, but its dividend will be paid in the future; its worth lies in the connections yet to be made and strengthened.   Now, if you will excuse me, I need to follow up with Senator Nelson . . . Image: Wiki Commons   After one plane ticket, two days of substitute lesson plans, several hundred dollars in hotel costs, 12 hours of travel, 24 hours of info cramming and 48 hours of nervous stress, all for 2.5 hours of talking to the aides of four Florida congressmen and one senator, I'm left wondering, "Was LILA worth it? Was it worth the time, money and effort? Did I make a difference?"   If so, shouldn't I be filled with a sense of accomplishment and pride? Shouldn't I have a sense that I positively influenced the world, that students, teachers, schools, districts, and, in fact, the whole darn state of Florida are better because I participated in ASCD's Leadership Initiative for Legislative Advocacy (LILA) along with 130 other educators and education leaders from across the country?   Shouldn't the clouds be parting and angels singing?  Shouldn't producers be knocking down my door pitching a "Mr. Jason Goes to Washington" movie? Shouldn't I have been honored during last night's State of the Union, at least?!   Turns out, changing the world takes a bit more time than showing up once and working my way through some talking points about how to improve teaching and learning in Florida. Or anywhere else for that matter. Laying the Foundation   As a relative beginner in legislative advocacy, I had a lot to learn about the role of the citizen advocate on a federal level, as well as about the myriad issues affecting schools today. And herein lies the beauty of ASCD's legislative conference -- they possess the capacity,  initiative and ambition to not only educate and empower educators, but to lay the foundation for bridging the gap between Capitol Hill and classrooms.   The divide between policymakers and students could not be more pronounced, as anyone whose has suffered under the punitive measures of NCLB can attest. The problem: what passes as effective legislative lingo rarely translates into effective instructional practices once implemented. What sounds good on the floor of the House does not always work where the rubber meets the road -- at the intersection of students and teachers.   Additionally, here's a little secret about how Washington works: a significant portion of the congressional legwork is pulled off by a talented and dedicated corps of staffers, many of whom are young and kid free. Intelligent, ambitious and able, these staffers represent the best of our education system, public or private. Yet, the majority of them are far removed from the realities of the classrooms that most need our support as well as the day to day translation of policy-speak into student learning. Therefore, it is imperative that we connect the legislators' education liaisons and chiefs of staff with information relevant to what works in schools and how that should inform policy.   Enter ASCD and education leaders stage left. LILA brought together teachers, administrators and school board members from 32 states, educated them on the most current education issues with guests such as Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), senate staffer David Johns, National Governor's Association's Education DirectorDane Linn, education funding expert Joel Packer, and media personalities E.J. Dionne of Washington Post and Alyson Klein of Education Week.  While we did not all agree on all of the issues and the recommended solutions by these guests, we all gained valuable insights into the numerous factors affecting education policy today.   Once on Capitol Hill our job was to educate legislators' staffers (and by proxy the legislators themselves) on potential solutions to problems plaguing our schools today. The Value   Many of us bemoan the lack of educators who are brought to the table to help write and enact the policies that directly affect what happnes in our classrooms, schools and districts. We wonder, "Who in the world came up with this and what were they smoking?"   The answer to the latter? Nothing, probably. They just didn't know. No-one told them, or the ones who lobbied their ideas weren't connected meaningfully to classrooms.  As a result, we are left with legislation that fails to achieve the student learning it targeted. It's the equivalent of designing tools to work on cars without talking with the people who actually work on cars or understanding how cars work.   Perhaps Yogi Berra said it best: "In theory there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice there is."   In our meetings, we found the staffers open, thoughtful and generally eager to create connections betwen their bosses and us constituents. As they asked questions and took notes it became apparent that theere's a significant base of experience many of them lack when it comes to teaching, but not when it comes to learning. The fact is, these are high achievers who share stories of teachers who cared about them and challenged them to think.   These staffers, and the "primaries" they work for, want all students to have access to such teachers. They want students to arrive at school ready and able to learn, and for each and every one of their constituents to have equal access to transformative learning experiences. It is from this common ground that we need to build consensus toward improving our schools.   Theoretically. Looking Ahead   There is still a long road between the ideal classroom of Joe Bower and the policies enacted by legislators. Simply showing up once isn't going to improve the glacial pace of congressional action, change policy or inform the debate.   As with teaching, advocacy is built on relationships. This trip to Washington D.C. and the hallowed halls of Capitol Hill is a beginning, not a culmination. For me it was setting the cornerstone for the bridge that connects educators and education leaders with lawmakers and their staff.  It was the beginning of the relationship building process. Most profoundly, it was a revelation that it is up to us to ensure our efforts in the classroom are known and heard by those who represent us. Over and over again. Not for our sake, but for the sake of kids within our sphere of our influence.   We are not going to get everything we want, not by a long shot, but as Wayne Gretzky likes to say, "You miss 100% of the shots you never take." In the end, we are not going to get anything if we are not involved, and no one's going to invite us. We have to show up. Over and over again.   The struggle to create and cultivate the environments that lead to transformative learning experiencess for students in our communities require that we first and foremost engage in the process. Finding common ground will lead to common strengths, but staying on the sidelines will only lead to disappointments and complaints.   If I learned anything at LILA it is this: Either we have a hand in what is being cooked or we are eating what is served, like it or not.   When I look at the kids in my classroom and the teachers in my PLN, I know where I need to be -- helping to construct the bridge between the classroom and the Capitol. With my students in mind, and a vision of a sustainable profession for my colleagues, I know the answer to the question, "Was LILA worth it?"   Definitely, but its dividend will be paid in the future; its worth lies in the connections yet to be made and strengthened.   Now, if you will excuse me, I need to follow up with Senator Nelson . . . Image: Wiki Commons   Thu, 27 Jan 2011 13:50:28 GMT http://edge.ascd.org/_Congressional-Gap-Bridging-the-Lawmaker-to-Student-Divide/blog/3280720/127586.html Jason_Flom 2011-01-27T13:50:28Z ASCD EDge After one plane ticket, two days of substitute lesson plans, several hundred dollars in hotel costs, 12 hours of travel, 24 hours of info cramming and 48 hours of nervous stress, all for 2.5 hours of talking to the aides of four Florida congressmen and one senator, I'm left wondering, "Was LILA worth it? Was it worth the time, money and effort? Did I make a difference?"   If so, shouldn't I be filled with a sense of accomplishment and pride? Shouldn't I have a sense that I positively influenced the world, that students, teachers, schools, districts, and, in fact, the whole darn state of Florida are better because I participated in ASCD's Leadership Initiative for Legislative Advocacy (LILA) along with 130 other educators and education leaders from across the country?   Shouldn't the clouds be parting and angels singing?  Shouldn't producers be knocking down my door pitching a "Mr. Jason Goes to Washington" movie? Shouldn't I have been honored during last night's State of the Union, at least?!   Turns out, changing the world takes a bit more time than showing up once and working my way through some talking points about how to improve teaching and learning in Florida. Or anywhere else for that matter. Laying the Foundation   As a relative beginner in legislative advocacy, I had a lot to learn about the role of the citizen advocate on a federal level, as well as about the myriad issues affecting schools today. And herein lies the beauty of ASCD's legislative conference -- they possess the capacity,  initiative and ambition to not only educate and empower educators, but to lay the foundation for bridging the gap between Capitol Hill and classrooms.   The divide between policymakers and students could not be more pronounced, as anyone whose has suffered under the punitive measures of NCLB can attest. The problem: what passes as effective legislative lingo rarely translates into effective instructional practices once implemented. What sounds good on the floor of the House does not always work where the rubber meets the road -- at the intersection of students and teachers.   Additionally, here's a little secret about how Washington works: a significant portion of the congressional legwork is pulled off by a talented and dedicated corps of staffers, many of whom are young and kid free. Intelligent, ambitious and able, these staffers represent the best of our education system, public or private. Yet, the majority of them are far removed from the realities of the classrooms that most need our support as well as the day to day translation of policy-speak into student learning. Therefore, it is imperative that we connect the legislators' education liaisons and chiefs of staff with information relevant to what works in schools and how that should inform policy.   Enter ASCD and education leaders stage left. LILA brought together teachers, administrators and school board members from 32 states, educated them on the most current education issues with guests such as Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), senate staffer David Johns, National Governor's Association's Education DirectorDane Linn, education funding expert Joel Packer, and media personalities E.J. Dionne of Washington Post and Alyson Klein of Education Week.  While we did not all agree on all of the issues and the recommended solutions by these guests, we all gained valuable insights into the numerous factors affecting education policy today.   Once on Capitol Hill our job was to educate legislators' staffers (and by proxy the legislators themselves) on potential solutions to problems plaguing our schools today. The Value   Many of us bemoan the lack of educators who are brought to the table to help write and enact the policies that directly affect what happnes in our classrooms, schools and districts. We wonder, "Who in the world came up with this and what were they smoking?"   The answer to the latter? Nothing, probably. They just didn't know. No-one told them, or the ones who lobbied their ideas weren't connected meaningfully to classrooms.  As a result, we are left with legislation that fails to achieve the student learning it targeted. It's the equivalent of designing tools to work on cars without talking with the people who actually work on cars or understanding how cars work.   Perhaps Yogi Berra said it best: "In theory there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice there is."   In our meetings, we found the staffers open, thoughtful and generally eager to create connections betwen their bosses and us constituents. As they asked questions and took notes it became apparent that theere's a significant base of experience many of them lack when it comes to teaching, but not when it comes to learning. The fact is, these are high achievers who share stories of teachers who cared about them and challenged them to think.   These staffers, and the "primaries" they work for, want all students to have access to such teachers. They want students to arrive at school ready and able to learn, and for each and every one of their constituents to have equal access to transformative learning experiences. It is from this common ground that we need to build consensus toward improving our schools.   Theoretically. Looking Ahead   There is still a long road between the ideal classroom of Joe Bower and the policies enacted by legislators. Simply showing up once isn't going to improve the glacial pace of congressional action, change policy or inform the debate.   As with teaching, advocacy is built on relationships. This trip to Washington D.C. and the hallowed halls of Capitol Hill is a beginning, not a culmination. For me it was setting the cornerstone for the bridge that connects educators and education leaders with lawmakers and their staff.  It was the beginning of the relationship building process. Most profoundly, it was a revelation that it is up to us to ensure our efforts in the classroom are known and heard by those who represent us. Over and over again. Not for our sake, but for the sake of kids within our sphere of our influence.   We are not going to get everything we want, not by a long shot, but as Wayne Gretzky likes to say, "You miss 100% of the shots you never take." In the end, we are not going to get anything if we are not involved, and no one's going to invite us. We have to show up. Over and over again.   The struggle to create and cultivate the environments that lead to transformative learning experiencess for students in our communities require that we first and foremost engage in the process. Finding common ground will lead to common strengths, but staying on the sidelines will only lead to disappointments and complaints.   If I learned anything at LILA it is this: Either we have a hand in what is being cooked or we are eating what is served, like it or not.   When I look at the kids in my classroom and the teachers in my PLN, I know where I need to be -- helping to construct the bridge between the classroom and the Capitol. With my students in mind, and a vision of a sustainable profession for my colleagues, I know the answer to the question, "Was LILA worth it?"   Definitely, but its dividend will be paid in the future; its worth lies in the connections yet to be made and strengthened.   Now, if you will excuse me, I need to follow up with Senator Nelson . . . Image: Wiki Commons   advocate, capitol hill, congress, education, education policy, lila nonadult false Congressional Gap: Bridging the Lawmaker-to-Student Divide text blog advocate,capitol hill,congress,education,education policy,lila 1571 11 5.0 http://edge.ascd.org/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=20433736&as=127586 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/127586/photos/PHOTO_7766452_127586_20433736_ap_160X120.jpg false United States FL Tallahassee 7 0 3280720 20433736 ASCD EDge Member 414 http://edge.ascd.org/_My-Inner-Pollyannas-Ed-Reform-Blue-Sky/blog/2745311/127586.html Even amid the heated debates & discourse, my inner Pollyanna still dream's big. Here's my blue sky, if I had my way: 1. United Teachers They become a force to be reckoned with. Politicians, news outlets, and policy makers take notice and make room at the table. They ask teachers questions like, "What can we do to attract more of your ilk to the profession, and then keep you once you're there?" For their part, teachers capitalize on the collaborative curve and explore new frontiers of pedagogy.   (Doesn't mean they don't disagree. Unity isn't panacea. Discourse & debate leads to insight.) 2. Arm Chair Experts Think The general public allows the recent single story focus to be the proverbial foot in the door. Nuanced perspectives, ideas, and ground floor realities become the swell that swings the door wide open. Before snapping to judgement based on simple talking points, the average citizen listens & reflects on a broad range of points of view. 3. Long Term Visioning We decide, "You know, this horse race mentality to improving schools only offers short term gains. Let's start planting seeds today that will bear fruit in the next generation. Let's envision the types of learning environments that lead to transformative learning experiences, and set a course toward them." 4. USA's Finland We talk highly of our teachers, create environments that allow them to connect with each student, cultivate incentives that attract & keep the best and the brightest, put 3 teachers in each classroom, implement lean standards that encourage educator autonomy, and pay all teachers a professional's living wage. 5. Whole Child Education It becomes accepted practice to think of the whole child when we think about making a difference in students' lives. We look to Geoffrey Canada's cradle to college model and realize it is worth the time, money and effort to honestly give all children the services they and their family need to prepare them for life. 6. Teaching Career Ladder The young and ambitious see topography in the education field. We integrate teacher leadership models that balance teaching students with teaching teachers, developing curricula, and/or working in administration, thereby offering compelling challenges to our most inspired new talent. 7. Motivated Students Students see school as a place that cultivates their dreams and gives them an authentic opportunity to apply skills in novel and meaningful contexts.  They feel valued as individuals, yet pushed to be their best. At school, students feel loved, accepted and driven. 8. Curriculum of Relevance Taking advantage of the copious resources technology provides, teachers are able to tailor curricula to meet the needs and interests of the immediate community, balancing lean national standards with nuanced homegrown lessons & units. Students engage in lessons that take them beyond the classroom walls and into their communities. 9. Concept Labs Making school relevant means increasing connections between schools, teachers, admin, parents, and the needs of neighborhoods, cities, states, country, & globe. Students become experienced and  versed in current ideas and concepts. Partnerships between researchers and educators provide students exposure to raw materials and industry problems, priming them for tackling more complex issues as adults. They graduate job skill ready. 10. Equitable Collaboration Vested interests in education have equal seats at the table. Students, parents, teachers, admin, and policy makers all have a voice helping to shape where we are going. Listening happens. 11. Enlightened Philanthropy Philanthropists, businesses & tax payers realize that the quality of educational programming at schools like Sidwell Friends (where Obama's girls attend) necessitates cultivating the conditions in those schools in all public schools -- charter or not. 12. Rhetoric Stimulus Package What we talk about when we talk about education. We use terms such as engaging, relevance, vigor, integration, investigation, creativity, differentiation, whole child, creativity, application, communication, media-literacy, technology, service learning, and equal access in addition to accountability, standards, basic skills and achievement. 13. Teacher Training The best and the brightest are recruited, trained in both practical skills & pedagogical theory, and given ample opportunity to apprentice under seasoned teachers. Their professional development is personalized to help ensure they enter the classroom prepared and passionate, and stay that way. 14. Evaluation Students, teachers, & admin are not judged by test alone. We develop more nuanced evaluative tools for targeting specific responsibilities that lead to our goal of developing . . . 15. Life Long Learners The primary goal of our learning institutions is to help students become life long learners. We find that with the right conditions curiosity can survive an education. Students graduate able to research and investigate a broad range of topics. They find that those skills can be applied to whichever field of study they choose to pursue.   Students look back and realize that their education provided the building blocks for constructing the lives of their dreams.   (This post was originally published on Ecology of Education.) Image: Layout Sparks Even amid the heated debates & discourse, my inner Pollyanna still dream's big. Here's my blue sky, if I had my way: 1. United Teachers They become a force to be reckoned with. Politicians, news outlets, and policy makers take notice and make room at the table. They ask teachers questions like, "What can we do to attract more of your ilk to the profession, and then keep you once you're there?" For their part, teachers capitalize on the collaborative curve and explore new frontiers of pedagogy.   (Doesn't mean they don't disagree. Unity isn't panacea. Discourse & debate leads to insight.) 2. Arm Chair Experts Think The general public allows the recent single story focus to be the proverbial foot in the door. Nuanced perspectives, ideas, and ground floor realities become the swell that swings the door wide open. Before snapping to judgement based on simple talking points, the average citizen listens & reflects on a broad range of points of view. 3. Long Term Visioning We decide, "You know, this horse race mentality to improving schools only offers short term gains. Let's start planting seeds today that will bear fruit in the next generation. Let's envision the types of learning environments that lead to transformative learning experiences, and set a course toward them." 4. USA's Finland We talk highly of our teachers, create environments that allow them to connect with each student, cultivate incentives that attract & keep the best and the brightest, put 3 teachers in each classroom, implement lean standards that encourage educator autonomy, and pay all teachers a professional's living wage. 5. Whole Child Education It becomes accepted practice to think of the whole child when we think about making a difference in students' lives. We look to Geoffrey Canada's cradle to college model and realize it is worth the time, money and effort to honestly give all children the services they and their family need to prepare them for life. 6. Teaching Career Ladder The young and ambitious see topography in the education field. We integrate teacher leadership models that balance teaching students with teaching teachers, developing curricula, and/or working in administration, thereby offering compelling challenges to our most inspired new talent. 7. Motivated Students Students see school as a place that cultivates their dreams and gives them an authentic opportunity to apply skills in novel and meaningful contexts.  They feel valued as individuals, yet pushed to be their best. At school, students feel loved, accepted and driven. 8. Curriculum of Relevance Taking advantage of the copious resources technology provides, teachers are able to tailor curricula to meet the needs and interests of the immediate community, balancing lean national standards with nuanced homegrown lessons & units. Students engage in lessons that take them beyond the classroom walls and into their communities. 9. Concept Labs Making school relevant means increasing connections between schools, teachers, admin, parents, and the needs of neighborhoods, cities, states, country, & globe. Students become experienced and  versed in current ideas and concepts. Partnerships between researchers and educators provide students exposure to raw materials and industry problems, priming them for tackling more complex issues as adults. They graduate job skill ready. 10. Equitable Collaboration Vested interests in education have equal seats at the table. Students, parents, teachers, admin, and policy makers all have a voice helping to shape where we are going. Listening happens. 11. Enlightened Philanthropy Philanthropists, businesses & tax payers realize that the quality of educational programming at schools like Sidwell Friends (where Obama's girls attend) necessitates cultivating the conditions in those schools in all public schools -- charter or not. 12. Rhetoric Stimulus Package What we talk about when we talk about education. We use terms such as engaging, relevance, vigor, integration, investigation, creativity, differentiation, whole child, creativity, application, communication, media-literacy, technology, service learning, and equal access in addition to accountability, standards, basic skills and achievement. 13. Teacher Training The best and the brightest are recruited, trained in both practical skills & pedagogical theory, and given ample opportunity to apprentice under seasoned teachers. Their professional development is personalized to help ensure they enter the classroom prepared and passionate, and stay that way. 14. Evaluation Students, teachers, & admin are not judged by test alone. We develop more nuanced evaluative tools for targeting specific responsibilities that lead to our goal of developing . . . 15. Life Long Learners The primary goal of our learning institutions is to help students become life long learners. We find that with the right conditions curiosity can survive an education. Students graduate able to research and investigate a broad range of topics. They find that those skills can be applied to whichever field of study they choose to pursue.   Students look back and realize that their education provided the building blocks for constructing the lives of their dreams.   (This post was originally published on Ecology of Education.) Image: Layout Sparks Sat, 16 Oct 2010 02:59:46 GMT http://edge.ascd.org/_My-Inner-Pollyannas-Ed-Reform-Blue-Sky/blog/2745311/127586.html Jason_Flom 2010-10-16T02:59:46Z ASCD EDge Even amid the heated debates & discourse, my inner Pollyanna still dream's big. Here's my blue sky, if I had my way: 1. United Teachers They become a force to be reckoned with. Politicians, news outlets, and policy makers take notice and make room at the table. They ask teachers questions like, "What can we do to attract more of your ilk to the profession, and then keep you once you're there?" For their part, teachers capitalize on the collaborative curve and explore new frontiers of pedagogy.   (Doesn't mean they don't disagree. Unity isn't panacea. Discourse & debate leads to insight.) 2. Arm Chair Experts Think The general public allows the recent single story focus to be the proverbial foot in the door. Nuanced perspectives, ideas, and ground floor realities become the swell that swings the door wide open. Before snapping to judgement based on simple talking points, the average citizen listens & reflects on a broad range of points of view. 3. Long Term Visioning We decide, "You know, this horse race mentality to improving schools only offers short term gains. Let's start planting seeds today that will bear fruit in the next generation. Let's envision the types of learning environments that lead to transformative learning experiences, and set a course toward them." 4. USA's Finland We talk highly of our teachers, create environments that allow them to connect with each student, cultivate incentives that attract & keep the best and the brightest, put 3 teachers in each classroom, implement lean standards that encourage educator autonomy, and pay all teachers a professional's living wage. 5. Whole Child Education It becomes accepted practice to think of the whole child when we think about making a difference in students' lives. We look to Geoffrey Canada's cradle to college model and realize it is worth the time, money and effort to honestly give all children the services they and their family need to prepare them for life. 6. Teaching Career Ladder The young and ambitious see topography in the education field. We integrate teacher leadership models that balance teaching students with teaching teachers, developing curricula, and/or working in administration, thereby offering compelling challenges to our most inspired new talent. 7. Motivated Students Students see school as a place that cultivates their dreams and gives them an authentic opportunity to apply skills in novel and meaningful contexts.  They feel valued as individuals, yet pushed to be their best. At school, students feel loved, accepted and driven. 8. Curriculum of Relevance Taking advantage of the copious resources technology provides, teachers are able to tailor curricula to meet the needs and interests of the immediate community, balancing lean national standards with nuanced homegrown lessons & units. Students engage in lessons that take them beyond the classroom walls and into their communities. 9. Concept Labs Making school relevant means increasing connections between schools, teachers, admin, parents, and the needs of neighborhoods, cities, states, country, & globe. Students become experienced and  versed in current ideas and concepts. Partnerships between researchers and educators provide students exposure to raw materials and industry problems, priming them for tackling more complex issues as adults. They graduate job skill ready. 10. Equitable Collaboration Vested interests in education have equal seats at the table. Students, parents, teachers, admin, and policy makers all have a voice helping to shape where we are going. Listening happens. 11. Enlightened Philanthropy Philanthropists, businesses & tax payers realize that the quality of educational programming at schools like Sidwell Friends (where Obama's girls attend) necessitates cultivating the conditions in those schools in all public schools -- charter or not. 12. Rhetoric Stimulus Package What we talk about when we talk about education. We use terms such as engaging, relevance, vigor, integration, investigation, creativity, differentiation, whole child, creativity, application, communication, media-literacy, technology, service learning, and equal access in addition to accountability, standards, basic skills and achievement. 13. Teacher Training The best and the brightest are recruited, trained in both practical skills & pedagogical theory, and given ample opportunity to apprentice under seasoned teachers. Their professional development is personalized to help ensure they enter the classroom prepared and passionate, and stay that way. 14. Evaluation Students, teachers, & admin are not judged by test alone. We develop more nuanced evaluative tools for targeting specific responsibilities that lead to our goal of developing . . . 15. Life Long Learners The primary goal of our learning institutions is to help students become life long learners. We find that with the right conditions curiosity can survive an education. Students graduate able to research and investigate a broad range of topics. They find that those skills can be applied to whichever field of study they choose to pursue.   Students look back and realize that their education provided the building blocks for constructing the lives of their dreams.   (This post was originally published on Ecology of Education.) Image: Layout Sparks daydream, education, education reform, learning, teaching nonadult false My Inner Pollyanna's Ed Reform Blue Sky text blog daydream,education,education reform,learning,teaching 1409 10 5.0 http://edge.ascd.org/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=20433736&as=127586 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/127586/photos/PHOTO_7766452_127586_20433736_ap_160X120.jpg false United States FL Tallahassee 0 0 2745311 20433736 ASCD EDge Member 414 http://edge.ascd.org/_Superman-Snubs-the-Justice-League-Lex-Laughs-to-the-Bank/blog/2658406/127586.html [image]NBC's Education Nation confirmed their list of panelists for the upcoming education summit -- none of whom are teachers and all of whom seem to take snaps from the same ed reform playbook. All except for the lone Randi Weingarten. She will play the role of Dissenting Voice in an ed reform narrative that is being ballyhooed across the nation. (Except where it's not.)   It was important for event organizers to give Randi a place on the panel. The basic ed reform thesis, chronicled in the upcoming "Waiting for Superman," begins with the idea that the school system & schools are broken, and that unionized teachers are where the faulty rubber meets the road. The trouble is, if the powers-that-be were to directly cast teachers as Lex Luthor their plan might backfire. Who's willing to place the failure of the American Education System on little old Mrs. Newton, teaching 2nd grade to generations of tots that loved her? That won't sell well or bring in votes.   Enter unions stage left. Randi, as president of the American Federation of Teachers, has been a vocal critic of NCLB, RTTT, & the Fire-(Teachers)-At-Will squad of trigger happy reformers. As a teacher representative, she's become the de facto Lightning Rod in the plot line that pits unions (as antagonists) against the great teachers the ed reformers (as protagonists) would deliver if only meddling teacher advocates would step aside.   For the NBC organizers, she needs to be a panelist in order to give the Gates' League the whipping boy (girl) it requires.   The story goes like this: the unions enable the hordes of bad teachers who are responsible for keeping students from achieving. All the while the benevolent market forces of goodness & quality do their darnedest to right this wrong through superhero feats of privatizing, hiring & firing, and incentivizing teaching to the tests.    We are asked to buy into this plot-line and then jump to reformers' same conclusions. Effectively, we are asked to leap these tall buildings, each in a single bound of reasoning: If we weigh the cattle more often, they'll get fatter. Non-union teachers teach better.   Charter schools = silver bullet against poverty & lack of parent involvement. Merit pay will be enough improve teacher "performance". (A recent Vanderbilt study concludes otherwise.) These unproven assumptions need more than super breath to blow me over. I'm just not convinced that these measures will lead to more professional educators & greater access to quality learning environments for all students.  The Bottom Line Variable But what if they are wrong?   What if the fear mongering and hyperbolized "broken" metaphors that the media outlets have bought-into & hyped are the machinations of private stakes and bottom lines, rather than deep insights into poverty, parenting & learning? (That's not to say there are not deeply rooted problems that need transforming. But "broken"?! That seems a slap in the face to the thousands who work in our nation's schools.)   On his site, How the University Works, Marc Bousquet brings this point to light: I’d like to see a few more of us start to question the objectivity of The New York Times and Washington Post, both corporations with increasingly large hopes that profits from their education ventures will prop up sagging journalism revenues. The Post, which owns Kaplan and shocked readers by blatantly pushing Kaplan’s legislative agenda in print and in person is already an education corporation that owns a newspaper as a sideline. What is curious is that even Fox & Friends has discovered what the Chamber of Commerce and the Washington Post knew a long time ago: The Obama/Duncan algorithm for improving our nations' schools has a hidden variable -- profitability. Non-union teachers + prepackaged curricula + (test x test x test) = Corporate Bling Package   Standardizing content across the country simplifies what all teachers teach, making it easier to . . . Increase class size and save moola on teachers (especially the union-free teachers in charter schools who get paid less & have fewer benefits), which frees up money for . . .   [image]Buying curricula in bulk (which are more profitable to produce in larger numbers)from major textbook companies which will necessitate. . .   Buying tests designed specifically for those prepackaged curricula, which will be justified because it will help  prepare students for . . .   Super-sized multiple-choice assessments to determine if teachers are teaching, which will . . .   Earn testing companies stacks of benjamins for administrating & scoring those tests, and has the added benefit of . . .   Determining which teachers should be fired, so newer, cheaper teachers can be hired, and more curricula can be bought to raise scores.   The private sector's opportunity to profit handsomely from this brand of standardization has stockholders salivating & lobbyists scheming. The Chamber of Commerce, at the behest of former FL governor Jeb Bush (whose younger brother, Neil, profits from NCLB & RTTT), has become a testifying standard anywhere education reform is on the legislative docket.   It all makes me wonder if ed reform is being driven by Superman, or Lex Luthor. What if we are asking the wrong questions?   What if the propagandized central conflict, Unions vs. Good Teaching, isn't the central conflict after all? What if it's just a sub-plot, cast as headliner? What if the problem is much more complex than that? What if the central argument, "Pay great teachers for student achievement and great teachers will flock to the classroom" doesn't hold water?    What if the actual teachers we want teaching and shaping our youth are not the ones attracted by promises of pay for performance? What if wooing and keeping great teachers requires a different sort of honey altogether?   Unfortunately, few are asking what it takes to attract (and retain) the truly innovative educators who can provide the transformative learning experiences that transcend race, gender, and socio-economic status. It seems assumed that bonuses, based on centralized high-stakes tests, will be enough.   In a tweet-versation with RiShawn Biddle (@DropoutNation), an education journalist (and ed reform advocate with a passionate interest in parent involvement & reducing dropout rates), I asked if the current slate of reforms was likely to narrow the curriculum and decrease educator autonomy. He replied that it would, that it was necessary.  This made me wonder what it would take to attract and keep the best and the brightest (the most ambitious and well educated among us) to the field of teaching. So I asked him.   His response?   They need more than a paycheck. They need an environment which allows them to utilize their skills in new and creative ways. In essence, they need autonomy and the flexibility to work in a professional atmosphere where they have latitude.   And therein lies our paradox. We all want/need the best and the brightest to embrace teaching as a profession, but our brand of ed reform vinegar (high stakes testing, value added firing, & standardized everything) is a hook without a worm. It doesn't attract and/or keep the very candidates we need flocking to our schools. Superman & the Justice League We seem to hope that by testing the kryptonite out of students Superman will arrive. However, him being faster than a speeding bullet doesn't make him a silver bullet. We'll need more than Superman if we aim to make meaningful, relevant, and lasting changes to our national school system.  In fact, we'll need the entire Justice League in order to effectively address the central conundrums of transforming our schools into learning environments of equality where students are engaged, enabled, and empowered.   Our villains are many: Poverty Lack of parent involvement Untenable dropout rates Too few high achievers in the field of teaching Overly specific centralized learning goals Undervalued teaching profession Inaccurate measures of teacher effectiveness Overuse of high stakes assessments as a cure all Elitism To tackle these villains, we must recruit & engage every one of the Justice League heroes, many of whom are already dedicated teachers who've been asked to stay quiet and do as they're told for far too long. The Justice League is supposed to be a collection of people banded together in mutual cooperation.   Too bad they've been left off of Superman's NBC panel.   Thanks a lot, Man of Steel. I bet you could've gotten one of us on it, if you really wanted to. Especially since you've got that cool x-ray vision thing going on.  Thought you'd be able to see through their shenanigans.  Guess I was wrong. Justice League Image: OSU Department of Statistics Lex Luthor Image: Prodigeek   (This post was originally published on Ecology of Education.)    [image]NBC's Education Nation confirmed their list of panelists for the upcoming education summit -- none of whom are teachers and all of whom seem to take snaps from the same ed reform playbook. All except for the lone Randi Weingarten. She will play the role of Dissenting Voice in an ed reform narrative that is being ballyhooed across the nation. (Except where it's not.)   It was important for event organizers to give Randi a place on the panel. The basic ed reform thesis, chronicled in the upcoming "Waiting for Superman," begins with the idea that the school system & schools are broken, and that unionized teachers are where the faulty rubber meets the road. The trouble is, if the powers-that-be were to directly cast teachers as Lex Luthor their plan might backfire. Who's willing to place the failure of the American Education System on little old Mrs. Newton, teaching 2nd grade to generations of tots that loved her? That won't sell well or bring in votes.   Enter unions stage left. Randi, as president of the American Federation of Teachers, has been a vocal critic of NCLB, RTTT, & the Fire-(Teachers)-At-Will squad of trigger happy reformers. As a teacher representative, she's become the de facto Lightning Rod in the plot line that pits unions (as antagonists) against the great teachers the ed reformers (as protagonists) would deliver if only meddling teacher advocates would step aside.   For the NBC organizers, she needs to be a panelist in order to give the Gates' League the whipping boy (girl) it requires.   The story goes like this: the unions enable the hordes of bad teachers who are responsible for keeping students from achieving. All the while the benevolent market forces of goodness & quality do their darnedest to right this wrong through superhero feats of privatizing, hiring & firing, and incentivizing teaching to the tests.    We are asked to buy into this plot-line and then jump to reformers' same conclusions. Effectively, we are asked to leap these tall buildings, each in a single bound of reasoning: If we weigh the cattle more often, they'll get fatter. Non-union teachers teach better.   Charter schools = silver bullet against poverty & lack of parent involvement. Merit pay will be enough improve teacher "performance". (A recent Vanderbilt study concludes otherwise.) These unproven assumptions need more than super breath to blow me over. I'm just not convinced that these measures will lead to more professional educators & greater access to quality learning environments for all students.  The Bottom Line Variable But what if they are wrong?   What if the fear mongering and hyperbolized "broken" metaphors that the media outlets have bought-into & hyped are the machinations of private stakes and bottom lines, rather than deep insights into poverty, parenting & learning? (That's not to say there are not deeply rooted problems that need transforming. But "broken"?! That seems a slap in the face to the thousands who work in our nation's schools.)   On his site, How the University Works, Marc Bousquet brings this point to light: I’d like to see a few more of us start to question the objectivity of The New York Times and Washington Post, both corporations with increasingly large hopes that profits from their education ventures will prop up sagging journalism revenues. The Post, which owns Kaplan and shocked readers by blatantly pushing Kaplan’s legislative agenda in print and in person is already an education corporation that owns a newspaper as a sideline. What is curious is that even Fox & Friends has discovered what the Chamber of Commerce and the Washington Post knew a long time ago: The Obama/Duncan algorithm for improving our nations' schools has a hidden variable -- profitability. Non-union teachers + prepackaged curricula + (test x test x test) = Corporate Bling Package   Standardizing content across the country simplifies what all teachers teach, making it easier to . . . Increase class size and save moola on teachers (especially the union-free teachers in charter schools who get paid less & have fewer benefits), which frees up money for . . .   [image]Buying curricula in bulk (which are more profitable to produce in larger numbers)from major textbook companies which will necessitate. . .   Buying tests designed specifically for those prepackaged curricula, which will be justified because it will help  prepare students for . . .   Super-sized multiple-choice assessments to determine if teachers are teaching, which will . . .   Earn testing companies stacks of benjamins for administrating & scoring those tests, and has the added benefit of . . .   Determining which teachers should be fired, so newer, cheaper teachers can be hired, and more curricula can be bought to raise scores.   The private sector's opportunity to profit handsomely from this brand of standardization has stockholders salivating & lobbyists scheming. The Chamber of Commerce, at the behest of former FL governor Jeb Bush (whose younger brother, Neil, profits from NCLB & RTTT), has become a testifying standard anywhere education reform is on the legislative docket.   It all makes me wonder if ed reform is being driven by Superman, or Lex Luthor. What if we are asking the wrong questions?   What if the propagandized central conflict, Unions vs. Good Teaching, isn't the central conflict after all? What if it's just a sub-plot, cast as headliner? What if the problem is much more complex than that? What if the central argument, "Pay great teachers for student achievement and great teachers will flock to the classroom" doesn't hold water?    What if the actual teachers we want teaching and shaping our youth are not the ones attracted by promises of pay for performance? What if wooing and keeping great teachers requires a different sort of honey altogether?   Unfortunately, few are asking what it takes to attract (and retain) the truly innovative educators who can provide the transformative learning experiences that transcend race, gender, and socio-economic status. It seems assumed that bonuses, based on centralized high-stakes tests, will be enough.   In a tweet-versation with RiShawn Biddle (@DropoutNation), an education journalist (and ed reform advocate with a passionate interest in parent involvement & reducing dropout rates), I asked if the current slate of reforms was likely to narrow the curriculum and decrease educator autonomy. He replied that it would, that it was necessary.  This made me wonder what it would take to attract and keep the best and the brightest (the most ambitious and well educated among us) to the field of teaching. So I asked him.   His response?   They need more than a paycheck. They need an environment which allows them to utilize their skills in new and creative ways. In essence, they need autonomy and the flexibility to work in a professional atmosphere where they have latitude.   And therein lies our paradox. We all want/need the best and the brightest to embrace teaching as a profession, but our brand of ed reform vinegar (high stakes testing, value added firing, & standardized everything) is a hook without a worm. It doesn't attract and/or keep the very candidates we need flocking to our schools. Superman & the Justice League We seem to hope that by testing the kryptonite out of students Superman will arrive. However, him being faster than a speeding bullet doesn't make him a silver bullet. We'll need more than Superman if we aim to make meaningful, relevant, and lasting changes to our national school system.  In fact, we'll need the entire Justice League in order to effectively address the central conundrums of transforming our schools into learning environments of equality where students are engaged, enabled, and empowered.   Our villains are many: Poverty Lack of parent involvement Untenable dropout rates Too few high achievers in the field of teaching Overly specific centralized learning goals Undervalued teaching profession Inaccurate measures of teacher effectiveness Overuse of high stakes assessments as a cure all Elitism To tackle these villains, we must recruit & engage every one of the Justice League heroes, many of whom are already dedicated teachers who've been asked to stay quiet and do as they're told for far too long. The Justice League is supposed to be a collection of people banded together in mutual cooperation.   Too bad they've been left off of Superman's NBC panel.   Thanks a lot, Man of Steel. I bet you could've gotten one of us on it, if you really wanted to. Especially since you've got that cool x-ray vision thing going on.  Thought you'd be able to see through their shenanigans.  Guess I was wrong. Justice League Image: OSU Department of Statistics Lex Luthor Image: Prodigeek   (This post was originally published on Ecology of Education.)    Sat, 18 Sep 2010 17:31:03 GMT http://edge.ascd.org/_Superman-Snubs-the-Justice-League-Lex-Laughs-to-the-Bank/blog/2658406/127586.html Jason_Flom 2010-09-18T17:31:03Z ASCD EDge [image]NBC's Education Nation confirmed their list of panelists for the upcoming education summit -- none of whom are teachers and all of whom seem to take snaps from the same ed reform playbook. All except for the lone Randi Weingarten. She will play the role of Dissenting Voice in an ed reform narrative that is being ballyhooed across the nation. (Except where it's not.)   It was important for event organizers to give Randi a place on the panel. The basic ed reform thesis, chronicled in the upcoming "Waiting for Superman," begins with the idea that the school system & schools are broken, and that unionized teachers are where the faulty rubber meets the road. The trouble is, if the powers-that-be were to directly cast teachers as Lex Luthor their plan might backfire. Who's willing to place the failure of the American Education System on little old Mrs. Newton, teaching 2nd grade to generations of tots that loved her? That won't sell well or bring in votes.   Enter unions stage left. Randi, as president of the American Federation of Teachers, has been a vocal critic of NCLB, RTTT, & the Fire-(Teachers)-At-Will squad of trigger happy reformers. As a teacher representative, she's become the de facto Lightning Rod in the plot line that pits unions (as antagonists) against the great teachers the ed reformers (as protagonists) would deliver if only meddling teacher advocates would step aside.   For the NBC organizers, she needs to be a panelist in order to give the Gates' League the whipping boy (girl) it requires.   The story goes like this: the unions enable the hordes of bad teachers who are responsible for keeping students from achieving. All the while the benevolent market forces of goodness & quality do their darnedest to right this wrong through superhero feats of privatizing, hiring & firing, and incentivizing teaching to the tests.    We are asked to buy into this plot-line and then jump to reformers' same conclusions. Effectively, we are asked to leap these tall buildings, each in a single bound of reasoning: If we weigh the cattle more often, they'll get fatter. Non-union teachers teach better.   Charter schools = silver bullet against poverty & lack of parent involvement. Merit pay will be enough improve teacher "performance". (A recent Vanderbilt study concludes otherwise.) These unproven assumptions need more than super breath to blow me over. I'm just not convinced that these measures will lead to more professional educators & greater access to quality learning environments for all students.  The Bottom Line Variable But what if they are wrong?   What if the fear mongering and hyperbolized "broken" metaphors that the media outlets have bought-into & hyped are the machinations of private stakes and bottom lines, rather than deep insights into poverty, parenting & learning? (That's not to say there are not deeply rooted problems that need transforming. But "broken"?! That seems a slap in the face to the thousands who work in our nation's schools.)   On his site, How the University Works, Marc Bousquet brings this point to light: I’d like to see a few more of us start to question the objectivity of The New York Times and Washington Post, both corporations with increasingly large hopes that profits from their education ventures will prop up sagging journalism revenues. The Post, which owns Kaplan and shocked readers by blatantly pushing Kaplan’s legislative agenda in print and in person is already an education corporation that owns a newspaper as a sideline. What is curious is that even Fox & Friends has discovered what the Chamber of Commerce and the Washington Post knew a long time ago: The Obama/Duncan algorithm for improving our nations' schools has a hidden variable -- profitability. Non-union teachers + prepackaged curricula + (test x test x test) = Corporate Bling Package   Standardizing content across the country simplifies what all teachers teach, making it easier to . . . Increase class size and save moola on teachers (especially the union-free teachers in charter schools who get paid less & have fewer benefits), which frees up money for . . .   [image]Buying curricula in bulk (which are more profitable to produce in larger numbers)from major textbook companies which will necessitate. . .   Buying tests designed specifically for those prepackaged curricula, which will be justified because it will help  prepare students for . . .   Super-sized multiple-choice assessments to determine if teachers are teaching, which will . . .   Earn testing companies stacks of benjamins for administrating & scoring those tests, and has the added benefit of . . .   Determining which teachers should be fired, so newer, cheaper teachers can be hired, and more curricula can be bought to raise scores.   The private sector's opportunity to profit handsomely from this brand of standardization has stockholders salivating & lobbyists scheming. The Chamber of Commerce, at the behest of former FL governor Jeb Bush (whose younger brother, Neil, profits from NCLB & RTTT), has become a testifying standard anywhere education reform is on the legislative docket.   It all makes me wonder if ed reform is being driven by Superman, or Lex Luthor. What if we are asking the wrong questions?   What if the propagandized central conflict, Unions vs. Good Teaching, isn't the central conflict after all? What if it's just a sub-plot, cast as headliner? What if the problem is much more complex than that? What if the central argument, "Pay great teachers for student achievement and great teachers will flock to the classroom" doesn't hold water?    What if the actual teachers we want teaching and shaping our youth are not the ones attracted by promises of pay for performance? What if wooing and keeping great teachers requires a different sort of honey altogether?   Unfortunately, few are asking what it takes to attract (and retain) the truly innovative educators who can provide the transformative learning experiences that transcend race, gender, and socio-economic status. It seems assumed that bonuses, based on centralized high-stakes tests, will be enough.   In a tweet-versation with RiShawn Biddle (@DropoutNation), an education journalist (and ed reform advocate with a passionate interest in parent involvement & reducing dropout rates), I asked if the current slate of reforms was likely to narrow the curriculum and decrease educator autonomy. He replied that it would, that it was necessary.  This made me wonder what it would take to attract and keep the best and the brightest (the most ambitious and well educated among us) to the field of teaching. So I asked him.   His response?   They need more than a paycheck. They need an environment which allows them to utilize their skills in new and creative ways. In essence, they need autonomy and the flexibility to work in a professional atmosphere where they have latitude.   And therein lies our paradox. We all want/need the best and the brightest to embrace teaching as a profession, but our brand of ed reform vinegar (high stakes testing, value added firing, & standardized everything) is a hook without a worm. It doesn't attract and/or keep the very candidates we need flocking to our schools. Superman & the Justice League We seem to hope that by testing the kryptonite out of students Superman will arrive. However, him being faster than a speeding bullet doesn't make him a silver bullet. We'll need more than Superman if we aim to make meaningful, relevant, and lasting changes to our national school system.  In fact, we'll need the entire Justice League in order to effectively address the central conundrums of transforming our schools into learning environments of equality where students are engaged, enabled, and empowered.   Our villains are many: Poverty Lack of parent involvement Untenable dropout rates Too few high achievers in the field of teaching Overly specific centralized learning goals Undervalued teaching profession Inaccurate measures of teacher effectiveness Overuse of high stakes assessments as a cure all Elitism To tackle these villains, we must recruit & engage every one of the Justice League heroes, many of whom are already dedicated teachers who've been asked to stay quiet and do as they're told for far too long. The Justice League is supposed to be a collection of people banded together in mutual cooperation.   Too bad they've been left off of Superman's NBC panel.   Thanks a lot, Man of Steel. I bet you could've gotten one of us on it, if you really wanted to. Especially since you've got that cool x-ray vision thing going on.  Thought you'd be able to see through their shenanigans.  Guess I was wrong. Justice League Image: OSU Department of Statistics Lex Luthor Image: Prodigeek   (This post was originally published on Ecology of Education.)    education nation, education policy, education reform, justice league, lex luthor, nbc, superman, teachers, waiting on superman nonadult false Superman Snubs the Justice League, Lex Laughs to the Bank text blog education nation,education policy,education reform,justice league,lex luthor,nbc,superman,teachers,waiting on superman 4091 22 5.0 http://edge.ascd.org/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=20433736&as=127586 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/127586/photos/PHOTO_7766452_127586_20433736_ap_160X120.jpg false United States FL Tallahassee 2 2 2658406 20433736 ASCD EDge Member 414 http://edge.ascd.org/_A-Teachers-Field-Guide-to-Parents/blog/2556851/127586.html Teachers would be foolhardy to label parents as either good or bad.   Not all parents are created equal and cannot be categorized on a single spectrum. To do so would jeopardize a teacher's ability to survive. Literally. I mean, I'm talking life or death here.   You see, when normally mild mannered and reasonable people become parents they take on a condition that shapes their behavior. In medical circles, that condition is known as neurosis.   One parent, whom I see every morning in the mirror, told me, "We're like werewolves, transfigured by parenthood." (Judging by the bags under his eyes, I'd have to agree.)   Knowing this, we teachers must be careful when working with us parents. It may be the most dangerous part of our jobs and we need to be prepared for any type of exposure we are likely to face.   So below is an very incomplete field guide to some of the more extreme types of parents that both new & veteran teachers might come across, along with some handling strategies. With over a gazillion types of parents, it would be impossible to profile them all. Indeed, they are as hard to standardize as students and/or teachers. With this in mind, please be advised that this list is not representative of the majority of parents, just a select minority.   Please feel free to add additional parent types or handling ideas in the comment section. Or, consider working with the good folks over at Parentella to create a Parent's Guide to Teachers. 1. Burger King Parents Characteristic markings: They want it their way, right away.   Identifying behaviors: "I sent you that e-mail (8 seconds ago), have you responded yet?" or "I know class is about to start, so I'll only take a few minutes of your time."   What you might want to say: "Sorry, this is not drive thru schooling. I'll get back to you after I grade papers, plan lessons, and pick up the room. Ta-ta."   What you should NOT say: "You want fries with that?"   What you might say: "Oh, no, sorry. I'll do my best to get back to you in the next 24 hours."   Handling Strategy: Appeasement and deflection. Buy time for yourself and set boundaries. Let parents know at the start of school how to begin a conversation with you. I encourage parents to ask me, "Do you have a minute right now, or should we schedule a time to talk about my child?" 2. Chicken Little Parents Characteristic markings: "The sky is falling! The sky is falling!"   Identifying behaviors: Overreact to the slightest perceived shortcoming of the teacher and/or school.   What you might want to say: "Relax. No one died. No one's gonna die. Everyone is fine. Breathe. And remember, it could be worse."   What you should NOT say: "Get the flip over it and stop dosing your coffee with methamphetamine."   What you might say: "Thank you for bringing that to my attention. I'll look into it right away."   Handling strategy: Containment & reassurance. Respond with calm coolness. Have them sit, offer a cup of water or cheez-its, and get all the facts. Listen (or at least appear to). A warm hand on the upper back as they leave may help. (Just don't accidentally push them out the door.)   Field notes: These are parents who need to leave school more relaxed than they arrived. If allowed to fester, their fervor, even if completely irrational, is contagious. 3. Flintstone Parents Also Known As: Rose-Colored-Past Parents   Characteristic markings: Often begins complaints with, "When I was in _____ grade . . . "   Identifying behaviors: Employs a grand vision of their own past. For example: Remembers their 4th grade essay being a brilliant 5 page exposition exploring the recovering economy of post-war Germany when it was actually 3 paragraphs comparing & contrasting orange juice and Tang.   What you might want to say: "Awesome! Any chance you still have it? I'll bet the kids would love it if you'd come read it to them and then tell them what life was like when you were their age!"   What you should NOT say: "Would you get over yourself already? Self-aggrandizement based on hyperbolized memories just sets unrealistic & unmeetable expectations for your child. It can actually do more harm than good. You know how your childhood house seems so large in your memory? Same thing going on here, Doogie Howser."   What you might say: "This could be a case of comparing apples to oranges. When we were growing up, there was one medium for aquiring and distributing information (books). Writing projects reflected that. Today, with information being widely available in multiple formats, it is important that our projects reflect that reality. Your child's project looks different from yours because there were different guidelines and different objectives. Would you like to discuss the goals of the assignment?"   Handling Strategy: Give them props for their accomplishments (and their imagination) and then try to help them see the merits of what their child is doing. Encourage them, when looking at their child's work to focus first on something they connect with about it, before furrowing their brow and telling their kid how it could be better. 4. The Grass is Greener Parents Characteristic markings: See another place as being better than where they are. Meaning, they see other classrooms/schools as better than yours.   Identifying Behaviors: Under the guise of "helping" they provide updates on what other classrooms/schools are doing that you are not.   What you might want to say: "I notice you don't mention all the things we are doing that others are not. Is that on purpose?"   What you should NOT say: "I hope you don't say the same sort of stuff to your kids. That makes you one of 'those' parents that no-one wants to be."   What you might say: "Oh, really? Huh. I didn't know that. That gives me some ideas for what we can do in the future. Thank you!"   Field Notes: These are the folks who are not afraid to mention this when they run into you at the library while you are with your own children. Remember that they mean well and don't take it personally. They do the same thing to others. It's not just you. 5. The Barometer Parents Characteristic markings: Able to assess and report the mood among other parents and/or students.   Identifying Behaviors: Privately comes forward with information about what is going on that you don't know about, but probably should.   What you might want to say: "Thank you so much for bringing this to my attention. I was not aware folks felt that way. I'll try to address the matter ASAP."   What you should NOT say: "So? I don't care."   What you might say: "Thank you so much for bringing this to my attention. I was not aware folks felt that way. I'll try to address the matter ASAP."   Field notes: These are a must find, each year.   Handling Strategy: Barometer Parents are allies. You want one, or two, each and every year. Find someone you communicate well with, who is connected to other parents and can be discreet. Ask them if they will let you know (without naming names) if there is any back-channel talking/complaining going on between parents that you need to address. The rationale: Some grumbling and venting is understandable & healthy between parents. However, grumbling & venting on the same subject over and over without communicating with the teacher can be detrimental to the students and the health of the class, especially if it grows out of control. If the teacher knows what's going on, he/she can do something about it. 6. The Perfectionist Parents Characteristic markings: Focuses on the empty part of a mostly full cup.   Identifying behaviors: No matter how well things are going, they are always able to find something you could and should be doing better.   What you might want to say: "Really?! All this cool stuff going on, and you're focusing on that?!"   What you should NOT say: "Do you do this to your child? Is this why they struggle to take constructive criticism? How many ambien does it take for you to go to sleep at night?"   What you might say: "That's a great inisight. I am always looking for ways to improve my units and projects. I'll make a note of your suggestion(s) for next year. Thanks!"   Handling strategy: Perfectionists are notoriously neurotic about, well, perfection. Their fervor is fed by Martha Stewart magazines & Pottery Barn catalogues that depict life as ordered and flawless. Self-depricating humor often settles their insistence that your world be as perfect as they envision. (Full disclosure: I'm married to a recovering perfectionist.) 7. Bueller Parents Characteristic markings: Absent all together.   Identifying behaviors: Try this call, "Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?" If you hear nothing in response, you've got a Bueller Parent.   What you might want to say: "I hope you are more involved with your kids at home than you are at school."   What you should NOT say: "What's your problem? Get off your duff, brush off whatever 'I hate school' leftovers you have from high school, and get involved, ya bum!"   What you might say: "Hi so-n-so. This is so-n-so's teacher. I just called to tell you how much I am really enjoying your son/daughter. She/He is really engaging, has some great insights, and shows fantastic potential. I hope she's/he's talking about what we are doing in school. Please feel free to call me if you have any questions. My cell phone number is..."   Handling strategy: Kid gloves & baby steps. First step -- Contact (keep it short & positive). Second step -- Engagement. Third step: Ongoing relationship building.   These seven are by no means comprehensive, and like students, we would be fools to standardize our expectations of parents. Each parent is unique and should be treated as such (lest we activate the beast within!). Additionally, connecting with parents helps teachers capitalize on opportunities to bridge the gap between home & school, helping to make learning more relevant and personal.   Plus, getting and keeping parents on your side can only work to your advantage with the students. (Note: This is a work of tongue-in-cheek theory based on 9 years of falling in love with students and their families. Any resemblance to actual parents is purely coincidental.) Image: LWVOR   Teachers would be foolhardy to label parents as either good or bad.   Not all parents are created equal and cannot be categorized on a single spectrum. To do so would jeopardize a teacher's ability to survive. Literally. I mean, I'm talking life or death here.   You see, when normally mild mannered and reasonable people become parents they take on a condition that shapes their behavior. In medical circles, that condition is known as neurosis.   One parent, whom I see every morning in the mirror, told me, "We're like werewolves, transfigured by parenthood." (Judging by the bags under his eyes, I'd have to agree.)   Knowing this, we teachers must be careful when working with us parents. It may be the most dangerous part of our jobs and we need to be prepared for any type of exposure we are likely to face.   So below is an very incomplete field guide to some of the more extreme types of parents that both new & veteran teachers might come across, along with some handling strategies. With over a gazillion types of parents, it would be impossible to profile them all. Indeed, they are as hard to standardize as students and/or teachers. With this in mind, please be advised that this list is not representative of the majority of parents, just a select minority.   Please feel free to add additional parent types or handling ideas in the comment section. Or, consider working with the good folks over at Parentella to create a Parent's Guide to Teachers. 1. Burger King Parents Characteristic markings: They want it their way, right away.   Identifying behaviors: "I sent you that e-mail (8 seconds ago), have you responded yet?" or "I know class is about to start, so I'll only take a few minutes of your time."   What you might want to say: "Sorry, this is not drive thru schooling. I'll get back to you after I grade papers, plan lessons, and pick up the room. Ta-ta."   What you should NOT say: "You want fries with that?"   What you might say: "Oh, no, sorry. I'll do my best to get back to you in the next 24 hours."   Handling Strategy: Appeasement and deflection. Buy time for yourself and set boundaries. Let parents know at the start of school how to begin a conversation with you. I encourage parents to ask me, "Do you have a minute right now, or should we schedule a time to talk about my child?" 2. Chicken Little Parents Characteristic markings: "The sky is falling! The sky is falling!"   Identifying behaviors: Overreact to the slightest perceived shortcoming of the teacher and/or school.   What you might want to say: "Relax. No one died. No one's gonna die. Everyone is fine. Breathe. And remember, it could be worse."   What you should NOT say: "Get the flip over it and stop dosing your coffee with methamphetamine."   What you might say: "Thank you for bringing that to my attention. I'll look into it right away."   Handling strategy: Containment & reassurance. Respond with calm coolness. Have them sit, offer a cup of water or cheez-its, and get all the facts. Listen (or at least appear to). A warm hand on the upper back as they leave may help. (Just don't accidentally push them out the door.)   Field notes: These are parents who need to leave school more relaxed than they arrived. If allowed to fester, their fervor, even if completely irrational, is contagious. 3. Flintstone Parents Also Known As: Rose-Colored-Past Parents   Characteristic markings: Often begins complaints with, "When I was in _____ grade . . . "   Identifying behaviors: Employs a grand vision of their own past. For example: Remembers their 4th grade essay being a brilliant 5 page exposition exploring the recovering economy of post-war Germany when it was actually 3 paragraphs comparing & contrasting orange juice and Tang.   What you might want to say: "Awesome! Any chance you still have it? I'll bet the kids would love it if you'd come read it to them and then tell them what life was like when you were their age!"   What you should NOT say: "Would you get over yourself already? Self-aggrandizement based on hyperbolized memories just sets unrealistic & unmeetable expectations for your child. It can actually do more harm than good. You know how your childhood house seems so large in your memory? Same thing going on here, Doogie Howser."   What you might say: "This could be a case of comparing apples to oranges. When we were growing up, there was one medium for aquiring and distributing information (books). Writing projects reflected that. Today, with information being widely available in multiple formats, it is important that our projects reflect that reality. Your child's project looks different from yours because there were different guidelines and different objectives. Would you like to discuss the goals of the assignment?"   Handling Strategy: Give them props for their accomplishments (and their imagination) and then try to help them see the merits of what their child is doing. Encourage them, when looking at their child's work to focus first on something they connect with about it, before furrowing their brow and telling their kid how it could be better. 4. The Grass is Greener Parents Characteristic markings: See another place as being better than where they are. Meaning, they see other classrooms/schools as better than yours.   Identifying Behaviors: Under the guise of "helping" they provide updates on what other classrooms/schools are doing that you are not.   What you might want to say: "I notice you don't mention all the things we are doing that others are not. Is that on purpose?"   What you should NOT say: "I hope you don't say the same sort of stuff to your kids. That makes you one of 'those' parents that no-one wants to be."   What you might say: "Oh, really? Huh. I didn't know that. That gives me some ideas for what we can do in the future. Thank you!"   Field Notes: These are the folks who are not afraid to mention this when they run into you at the library while you are with your own children. Remember that they mean well and don't take it personally. They do the same thing to others. It's not just you. 5. The Barometer Parents Characteristic markings: Able to assess and report the mood among other parents and/or students.   Identifying Behaviors: Privately comes forward with information about what is going on that you don't know about, but probably should.   What you might want to say: "Thank you so much for bringing this to my attention. I was not aware folks felt that way. I'll try to address the matter ASAP."   What you should NOT say: "So? I don't care."   What you might say: "Thank you so much for bringing this to my attention. I was not aware folks felt that way. I'll try to address the matter ASAP."   Field notes: These are a must find, each year.   Handling Strategy: Barometer Parents are allies. You want one, or two, each and every year. Find someone you communicate well with, who is connected to other parents and can be discreet. Ask them if they will let you know (without naming names) if there is any back-channel talking/complaining going on between parents that you need to address. The rationale: Some grumbling and venting is understandable & healthy between parents. However, grumbling & venting on the same subject over and over without communicating with the teacher can be detrimental to the students and the health of the class, especially if it grows out of control. If the teacher knows what's going on, he/she can do something about it. 6. The Perfectionist Parents Characteristic markings: Focuses on the empty part of a mostly full cup.   Identifying behaviors: No matter how well things are going, they are always able to find something you could and should be doing better.   What you might want to say: "Really?! All this cool stuff going on, and you're focusing on that?!"   What you should NOT say: "Do you do this to your child? Is this why they struggle to take constructive criticism? How many ambien does it take for you to go to sleep at night?"   What you might say: "That's a great inisight. I am always looking for ways to improve my units and projects. I'll make a note of your suggestion(s) for next year. Thanks!"   Handling strategy: Perfectionists are notoriously neurotic about, well, perfection. Their fervor is fed by Martha Stewart magazines & Pottery Barn catalogues that depict life as ordered and flawless. Self-depricating humor often settles their insistence that your world be as perfect as they envision. (Full disclosure: I'm married to a recovering perfectionist.) 7. Bueller Parents Characteristic markings: Absent all together.   Identifying behaviors: Try this call, "Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?" If you hear nothing in response, you've got a Bueller Parent.   What you might want to say: "I hope you are more involved with your kids at home than you are at school."   What you should NOT say: "What's your problem? Get off your duff, brush off whatever 'I hate school' leftovers you have from high school, and get involved, ya bum!"   What you might say: "Hi so-n-so. This is so-n-so's teacher. I just called to tell you how much I am really enjoying your son/daughter. She/He is really engaging, has some great insights, and shows fantastic potential. I hope she's/he's talking about what we are doing in school. Please feel free to call me if you have any questions. My cell phone number is..."   Handling strategy: Kid gloves & baby steps. First step -- Contact (keep it short & positive). Second step -- Engagement. Third step: Ongoing relationship building.   These seven are by no means comprehensive, and like students, we would be fools to standardize our expectations of parents. Each parent is unique and should be treated as such (lest we activate the beast within!). Additionally, connecting with parents helps teachers capitalize on opportunities to bridge the gap between home & school, helping to make learning more relevant and personal.   Plus, getting and keeping parents on your side can only work to your advantage with the students. (Note: This is a work of tongue-in-cheek theory based on 9 years of falling in love with students and their families. Any resemblance to actual parents is purely coincidental.) Image: LWVOR   Mon, 16 Aug 2010 21:40:22 GMT http://edge.ascd.org/_A-Teachers-Field-Guide-to-Parents/blog/2556851/127586.html Jason_Flom 2010-08-16T21:40:22Z ASCD EDge Teachers would be foolhardy to label parents as either good or bad.   Not all parents are created equal and cannot be categorized on a single spectrum. To do so would jeopardize a teacher's ability to survive. Literally. I mean, I'm talking life or death here.   You see, when normally mild mannered and reasonable people become parents they take on a condition that shapes their behavior. In medical circles, that condition is known as neurosis.   One parent, whom I see every morning in the mirror, told me, "We're like werewolves, transfigured by parenthood." (Judging by the bags under his eyes, I'd have to agree.)   Knowing this, we teachers must be careful when working with us parents. It may be the most dangerous part of our jobs and we need to be prepared for any type of exposure we are likely to face.   So below is an very incomplete field guide to some of the more extreme types of parents that both new & veteran teachers might come across, along with some handling strategies. With over a gazillion types of parents, it would be impossible to profile them all. Indeed, they are as hard to standardize as students and/or teachers. With this in mind, please be advised that this list is not representative of the majority of parents, just a select minority.   Please feel free to add additional parent types or handling ideas in the comment section. Or, consider working with the good folks over at Parentella to create a Parent's Guide to Teachers. 1. Burger King Parents Characteristic markings: They want it their way, right away.   Identifying behaviors: "I sent you that e-mail (8 seconds ago), have you responded yet?" or "I know class is about to start, so I'll only take a few minutes of your time."   What you might want to say: "Sorry, this is not drive thru schooling. I'll get back to you after I grade papers, plan lessons, and pick up the room. Ta-ta."   What you should NOT say: "You want fries with that?"   What you might say: "Oh, no, sorry. I'll do my best to get back to you in the next 24 hours."   Handling Strategy: Appeasement and deflection. Buy time for yourself and set boundaries. Let parents know at the start of school how to begin a conversation with you. I encourage parents to ask me, "Do you have a minute right now, or should we schedule a time to talk about my child?" 2. Chicken Little Parents Characteristic markings: "The sky is falling! The sky is falling!"   Identifying behaviors: Overreact to the slightest perceived shortcoming of the teacher and/or school.   What you might want to say: "Relax. No one died. No one's gonna die. Everyone is fine. Breathe. And remember, it could be worse."   What you should NOT say: "Get the flip over it and stop dosing your coffee with methamphetamine."   What you might say: "Thank you for bringing that to my attention. I'll look into it right away."   Handling strategy: Containment & reassurance. Respond with calm coolness. Have them sit, offer a cup of water or cheez-its, and get all the facts. Listen (or at least appear to). A warm hand on the upper back as they leave may help. (Just don't accidentally push them out the door.)   Field notes: These are parents who need to leave school more relaxed than they arrived. If allowed to fester, their fervor, even if completely irrational, is contagious. 3. Flintstone Parents Also Known As: Rose-Colored-Past Parents   Characteristic markings: Often begins complaints with, "When I was in _____ grade . . . "   Identifying behaviors: Employs a grand vision of their own past. For example: Remembers their 4th grade essay being a brilliant 5 page exposition exploring the recovering economy of post-war Germany when it was actually 3 paragraphs comparing & contrasting orange juice and Tang.   What you might want to say: "Awesome! Any chance you still have it? I'll bet the kids would love it if you'd come read it to them and then tell them what life was like when you were their age!"   What you should NOT say: "Would you get over yourself already? Self-aggrandizement based on hyperbolized memories just sets unrealistic & unmeetable expectations for your child. It can actually do more harm than good. You know how your childhood house seems so large in your memory? Same thing going on here, Doogie Howser."   What you might say: "This could be a case of comparing apples to oranges. When we were growing up, there was one medium for aquiring and distributing information (books). Writing projects reflected that. Today, with information being widely available in multiple formats, it is important that our projects reflect that reality. Your child's project looks different from yours because there were different guidelines and different objectives. Would you like to discuss the goals of the assignment?"   Handling Strategy: Give them props for their accomplishments (and their imagination) and then try to help them see the merits of what their child is doing. Encourage them, when looking at their child's work to focus first on something they connect with about it, before furrowing their brow and telling their kid how it could be better. 4. The Grass is Greener Parents Characteristic markings: See another place as being better than where they are. Meaning, they see other classrooms/schools as better than yours.   Identifying Behaviors: Under the guise of "helping" they provide updates on what other classrooms/schools are doing that you are not.   What you might want to say: "I notice you don't mention all the things we are doing that others are not. Is that on purpose?"   What you should NOT say: "I hope you don't say the same sort of stuff to your kids. That makes you one of 'those' parents that no-one wants to be."   What you might say: "Oh, really? Huh. I didn't know that. That gives me some ideas for what we can do in the future. Thank you!"   Field Notes: These are the folks who are not afraid to mention this when they run into you at the library while you are with your own children. Remember that they mean well and don't take it personally. They do the same thing to others. It's not just you. 5. The Barometer Parents Characteristic markings: Able to assess and report the mood among other parents and/or students.   Identifying Behaviors: Privately comes forward with information about what is going on that you don't know about, but probably should.   What you might want to say: "Thank you so much for bringing this to my attention. I was not aware folks felt that way. I'll try to address the matter ASAP."   What you should NOT say: "So? I don't care."   What you might say: "Thank you so much for bringing this to my attention. I was not aware folks felt that way. I'll try to address the matter ASAP."   Field notes: These are a must find, each year.   Handling Strategy: Barometer Parents are allies. You want one, or two, each and every year. Find someone you communicate well with, who is connected to other parents and can be discreet. Ask them if they will let you know (without naming names) if there is any back-channel talking/complaining going on between parents that you need to address. The rationale: Some grumbling and venting is understandable & healthy between parents. However, grumbling & venting on the same subject over and over without communicating with the teacher can be detrimental to the students and the health of the class, especially if it grows out of control. If the teacher knows what's going on, he/she can do something about it. 6. The Perfectionist Parents Characteristic markings: Focuses on the empty part of a mostly full cup.   Identifying behaviors: No matter how well things are going, they are always able to find something you could and should be doing better.   What you might want to say: "Really?! All this cool stuff going on, and you're focusing on that?!"   What you should NOT say: "Do you do this to your child? Is this why they struggle to take constructive criticism? How many ambien does it take for you to go to sleep at night?"   What you might say: "That's a great inisight. I am always looking for ways to improve my units and projects. I'll make a note of your suggestion(s) for next year. Thanks!"   Handling strategy: Perfectionists are notoriously neurotic about, well, perfection. Their fervor is fed by Martha Stewart magazines & Pottery Barn catalogues that depict life as ordered and flawless. Self-depricating humor often settles their insistence that your world be as perfect as they envision. (Full disclosure: I'm married to a recovering perfectionist.) 7. Bueller Parents Characteristic markings: Absent all together.   Identifying behaviors: Try this call, "Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?" If you hear nothing in response, you've got a Bueller Parent.   What you might want to say: "I hope you are more involved with your kids at home than you are at school."   What you should NOT say: "What's your problem? Get off your duff, brush off whatever 'I hate school' leftovers you have from high school, and get involved, ya bum!"   What you might say: "Hi so-n-so. This is so-n-so's teacher. I just called to tell you how much I am really enjoying your son/daughter. She/He is really engaging, has some great insights, and shows fantastic potential. I hope she's/he's talking about what we are doing in school. Please feel free to call me if you have any questions. My cell phone number is..."   Handling strategy: Kid gloves & baby steps. First step -- Contact (keep it short & positive). Second step -- Engagement. Third step: Ongoing relationship building.   These seven are by no means comprehensive, and like students, we would be fools to standardize our expectations of parents. Each parent is unique and should be treated as such (lest we activate the beast within!). Additionally, connecting with parents helps teachers capitalize on opportunities to bridge the gap between home & school, helping to make learning more relevant and personal.   Plus, getting and keeping parents on your side can only work to your advantage with the students. (Note: This is a work of tongue-in-cheek theory based on 9 years of falling in love with students and their families. Any resemblance to actual parents is purely coincidental.) Image: LWVOR   education, humor, parents, teachers nonadult false A Teacher's Field Guide to Parents text blog education,humor,parents,teachers 6895 11 5.0 http://edge.ascd.org/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=20433736&as=127586 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/127586/photos/PHOTO_7766452_127586_20433736_ap_160X120.jpg false United States FL Tallahassee 9 2 2556851 20433736 ASCD EDge Member 414 http://edge.ascd.org/_Emerging-Trend-Teachers-as-Advocates/blog/2397358/127586.html (This piece was originally published at Cooperative Catalyst.)   I keep waiting on the invitation:   Who: Teachers What: Education Reform Policy Party Where: Wonk Circles All Over When: NOW! Why: We want YOU to help envision & shape the next generation of schools.   The paradox, of course, is that as the reformation of education garners greater and greater media attention, teachers -- the unrecognized professionals -- continue to find ourselves left out despite the fact we have one of the largest stakes in the debate.   While it would be fun to point fingers at others, the truth is that we have a long history of grudgingly accepting whatever comes down the pipe at us, so it may well be of our own doing. Fortunately, that is changing, and none too soon.   However, thanks to the Race to the Top and the unprecedented funding by the federal government, the reform effort has amassed a following of armchair experts who all seem to sing from the same hymnal:   Market driven solutions will work. Increasing competition among teachers will improve their "performance". Firing teachers must be a first priority. Threats achieve results, especially if the threats involve closing a school. Standardized tests are effective measures of success. More standards = more learning.   Yet the most egregious (albeit tacit) tenet of the movement seems to be that reform should happen to teachers rather than with teachers.   While nearly everyone intimately involved in the reform effort would publicly deny this, the fact is that teachers remain the underutilized voice on how to improve our schools.     The most recent example of this was in the New York Times Sunday Magazine's May 23rd piece, "The Teachers' Unions' Last Stand".   The over 8,000 word education reform article did not quote one teacher.  Not one!   It's outrageous! When an editor from one of the world's most powerful newspapers does not insist that a teacher's voice be included in such a premiere education piece we learn a lot about the esteem teachers are held in. It's the The-emperor-has-no-clothes moment of truth. Finally, we see and we should be livid! After all, we have the most profound of roles in our schools -- we teach the children.   Imagine for a second a comparable examination of banking reform that does not quote from at least a single banker. It would never happen.   Fortunately, the letters in response to the article raised this concern, perhaps most poignantly by 2nd grade teacher, Emily Miller.   There are many things in Steven Brill’s article that trouble me, but my greatest concern about the education-reform debate is the absence of teachers’ voices. When the country was debating the economic-stimulus plan, policy makers asked economists for advice, and the press frequently provided a forum for them to express their opinions. Yet when discussing education, the experts — those who work with children every day in classrooms — are rarely consulted. Many of those who were interviewed for Brill’s article said that they want what is best for children. It seems to me that if this is a genuine concern, those who best understand the challenges and problems in our schools, namely teachers, should be asked what they think.   The fact is, teachers have little history making or getting our voice heard. We are the unrealized professionals. Thankfully, change is in the air.     Through social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, & ASCD Edge educators are building networks that turn up the volume on their ideas, concerns, and potential power of their numbers.  This ability to make our voice heard is an important first step toward being substantively included at the table.   It is a start, but we still need to do more. But how?   As with most grassroots efforts, it begins at home: Think Globally, Elect Locally. Our local officials and state representatives need to know our names, not just the names of the union reps.  During the summer, we can make calls to our elected policy makers, write letters to the editor calling out publications for misrepresenting us, and learn how to advocate. We can interact with politicians running for office and insist they answer questions about education.  And if their answers seem copy-pasted from the Reform Hymnal, we help educate them, or deny them our vote.   Perhaps Jessica Luallen Horten said it best in her piece, "Calling Teachers to Action Beyond SB 6":   I implore you to think about your beliefs about how children learn, what have you discovered in your years of experience? Write it down, share it, speak it and continue to examine it every day. If you truly want to advocate for children, you will become active in the process that will shape their tomorrow.   We have an opportunity to capitalize on the press and the widespread focus on education, even if we never get an invitation to the party.   It's time to bust down the doors and demand to be heard. As the experts in the field, we have a civic responsibility to speak truth to power and to armchair experts everywhere. Change will happen.  However, the onus is on us to either be recipients of it or agents in it.   Additional places to get started as a teacher advocate: ASCD Educator Advocate program and Tim Furman's microlobbies idea.     How else can teachers get involved? What other ways can we help shape the debate?   Image: alli coate (This piece was originally published at Cooperative Catalyst.)   I keep waiting on the invitation:   Who: Teachers What: Education Reform Policy Party Where: Wonk Circles All Over When: NOW! Why: We want YOU to help envision & shape the next generation of schools.   The paradox, of course, is that as the reformation of education garners greater and greater media attention, teachers -- the unrecognized professionals -- continue to find ourselves left out despite the fact we have one of the largest stakes in the debate.   While it would be fun to point fingers at others, the truth is that we have a long history of grudgingly accepting whatever comes down the pipe at us, so it may well be of our own doing. Fortunately, that is changing, and none too soon.   However, thanks to the Race to the Top and the unprecedented funding by the federal government, the reform effort has amassed a following of armchair experts who all seem to sing from the same hymnal:   Market driven solutions will work. Increasing competition among teachers will improve their "performance". Firing teachers must be a first priority. Threats achieve results, especially if the threats involve closing a school. Standardized tests are effective measures of success. More standards = more learning.   Yet the most egregious (albeit tacit) tenet of the movement seems to be that reform should happen to teachers rather than with teachers.   While nearly everyone intimately involved in the reform effort would publicly deny this, the fact is that teachers remain the underutilized voice on how to improve our schools.     The most recent example of this was in the New York Times Sunday Magazine's May 23rd piece, "The Teachers' Unions' Last Stand".   The over 8,000 word education reform article did not quote one teacher.  Not one!   It's outrageous! When an editor from one of the world's most powerful newspapers does not insist that a teacher's voice be included in such a premiere education piece we learn a lot about the esteem teachers are held in. It's the The-emperor-has-no-clothes moment of truth. Finally, we see and we should be livid! After all, we have the most profound of roles in our schools -- we teach the children.   Imagine for a second a comparable examination of banking reform that does not quote from at least a single banker. It would never happen.   Fortunately, the letters in response to the article raised this concern, perhaps most poignantly by 2nd grade teacher, Emily Miller.   There are many things in Steven Brill’s article that trouble me, but my greatest concern about the education-reform debate is the absence of teachers’ voices. When the country was debating the economic-stimulus plan, policy makers asked economists for advice, and the press frequently provided a forum for them to express their opinions. Yet when discussing education, the experts — those who work with children every day in classrooms — are rarely consulted. Many of those who were interviewed for Brill’s article said that they want what is best for children. It seems to me that if this is a genuine concern, those who best understand the challenges and problems in our schools, namely teachers, should be asked what they think.   The fact is, teachers have little history making or getting our voice heard. We are the unrealized professionals. Thankfully, change is in the air.     Through social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, & ASCD Edge educators are building networks that turn up the volume on their ideas, concerns, and potential power of their numbers.  This ability to make our voice heard is an important first step toward being substantively included at the table.   It is a start, but we still need to do more. But how?   As with most grassroots efforts, it begins at home: Think Globally, Elect Locally. Our local officials and state representatives need to know our names, not just the names of the union reps.  During the summer, we can make calls to our elected policy makers, write letters to the editor calling out publications for misrepresenting us, and learn how to advocate. We can interact with politicians running for office and insist they answer questions about education.  And if their answers seem copy-pasted from the Reform Hymnal, we help educate them, or deny them our vote.   Perhaps Jessica Luallen Horten said it best in her piece, "Calling Teachers to Action Beyond SB 6":   I implore you to think about your beliefs about how children learn, what have you discovered in your years of experience? Write it down, share it, speak it and continue to examine it every day. If you truly want to advocate for children, you will become active in the process that will shape their tomorrow.   We have an opportunity to capitalize on the press and the widespread focus on education, even if we never get an invitation to the party.   It's time to bust down the doors and demand to be heard. As the experts in the field, we have a civic responsibility to speak truth to power and to armchair experts everywhere. Change will happen.  However, the onus is on us to either be recipients of it or agents in it.   Additional places to get started as a teacher advocate: ASCD Educator Advocate program and Tim Furman's microlobbies idea.     How else can teachers get involved? What other ways can we help shape the debate?   Image: alli coate Tue, 15 Jun 2010 12:48:09 GMT http://edge.ascd.org/_Emerging-Trend-Teachers-as-Advocates/blog/2397358/127586.html Jason_Flom 2010-06-15T12:48:09Z ASCD EDge (This piece was originally published at Cooperative Catalyst.)   I keep waiting on the invitation:   Who: Teachers What: Education Reform Policy Party Where: Wonk Circles All Over When: NOW! Why: We want YOU to help envision & shape the next generation of schools.   The paradox, of course, is that as the reformation of education garners greater and greater media attention, teachers -- the unrecognized professionals -- continue to find ourselves left out despite the fact we have one of the largest stakes in the debate.   While it would be fun to point fingers at others, the truth is that we have a long history of grudgingly accepting whatever comes down the pipe at us, so it may well be of our own doing. Fortunately, that is changing, and none too soon.   However, thanks to the Race to the Top and the unprecedented funding by the federal government, the reform effort has amassed a following of armchair experts who all seem to sing from the same hymnal:   Market driven solutions will work. Increasing competition among teachers will improve their "performance". Firing teachers must be a first priority. Threats achieve results, especially if the threats involve closing a school. Standardized tests are effective measures of success. More standards = more learning.   Yet the most egregious (albeit tacit) tenet of the movement seems to be that reform should happen to teachers rather than with teachers.   While nearly everyone intimately involved in the reform effort would publicly deny this, the fact is that teachers remain the underutilized voice on how to improve our schools.     The most recent example of this was in the New York Times Sunday Magazine's May 23rd piece, "The Teachers' Unions' Last Stand".   The over 8,000 word education reform article did not quote one teacher.  Not one!   It's outrageous! When an editor from one of the world's most powerful newspapers does not insist that a teacher's voice be included in such a premiere education piece we learn a lot about the esteem teachers are held in. It's the The-emperor-has-no-clothes moment of truth. Finally, we see and we should be livid! After all, we have the most profound of roles in our schools -- we teach the children.   Imagine for a second a comparable examination of banking reform that does not quote from at least a single banker. It would never happen.   Fortunately, the letters in response to the article raised this concern, perhaps most poignantly by 2nd grade teacher, Emily Miller.   There are many things in Steven Brill’s article that trouble me, but my greatest concern about the education-reform debate is the absence of teachers’ voices. When the country was debating the economic-stimulus plan, policy makers asked economists for advice, and the press frequently provided a forum for them to express their opinions. Yet when discussing education, the experts — those who work with children every day in classrooms — are rarely consulted. Many of those who were interviewed for Brill’s article said that they want what is best for children. It seems to me that if this is a genuine concern, those who best understand the challenges and problems in our schools, namely teachers, should be asked what they think.   The fact is, teachers have little history making or getting our voice heard. We are the unrealized professionals. Thankfully, change is in the air.     Through social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, & ASCD Edge educators are building networks that turn up the volume on their ideas, concerns, and potential power of their numbers.  This ability to make our voice heard is an important first step toward being substantively included at the table.   It is a start, but we still need to do more. But how?   As with most grassroots efforts, it begins at home: Think Globally, Elect Locally. Our local officials and state representatives need to know our names, not just the names of the union reps.  During the summer, we can make calls to our elected policy makers, write letters to the editor calling out publications for misrepresenting us, and learn how to advocate. We can interact with politicians running for office and insist they answer questions about education.  And if their answers seem copy-pasted from the Reform Hymnal, we help educate them, or deny them our vote.   Perhaps Jessica Luallen Horten said it best in her piece, "Calling Teachers to Action Beyond SB 6":   I implore you to think about your beliefs about how children learn, what have you discovered in your years of experience? Write it down, share it, speak it and continue to examine it every day. If you truly want to advocate for children, you will become active in the process that will shape their tomorrow.   We have an opportunity to capitalize on the press and the widespread focus on education, even if we never get an invitation to the party.   It's time to bust down the doors and demand to be heard. As the experts in the field, we have a civic responsibility to speak truth to power and to armchair experts everywhere. Change will happen.  However, the onus is on us to either be recipients of it or agents in it.   Additional places to get started as a teacher advocate: ASCD Educator Advocate program and Tim Furman's microlobbies idea.     How else can teachers get involved? What other ways can we help shape the debate?   Image: alli coate citizenry, democracy, education policy, education reform, teaching nonadult false Emerging Trend: Teachers as Advocates text blog citizenry,democracy,education policy,education reform,teaching 2176 10 5.0 http://edge.ascd.org/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=20433736&as=127586 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/127586/photos/PHOTO_7766452_127586_20433736_ap_160X120.jpg false United States FL Tallahassee 3 0 2397358 20433736 ASCD EDge Member 414 http://edge.ascd.org/_Legislators-Send-Teacher-Surveys/blog/2318171/127586.html I submitted 5 open-ended questions I thought lawmakers should ask teachers before crafting bills aimed at reforming education. The policymakers on the Education Policy Committee thought it was a great idea (especially after the stink teachers madeabout not being included in reform efforts in Florida).  However, in order to more easily quantify the responses, they added multiple choices to each question. As one senator told me, "Not only will this help us employ data to specifically target areas teachers identify as being most critical to school improvement, it will also make it easier for teachers to complete, as it is in a format they are quite familiar with." Touché, Senator. Touché. Below is a sample of the survey legislators will be sending out to educators across the nation: Education Reform Questions for Teachers Teachers, we want to know what you think!  By filling out this quick survey you will become a partner in this democratic and transparent process to shape education reform! Your voice will be heard! After we compile the results, in partnership with your recommendations, we'll craft legislation accordingly. Directions: For each question, please use a number 2 pencil and circle the answer you think is betterthan the others. 1. What inspired you to go into the field of teaching? A. The prestige. B. The money. C. The hours. D. The ability to slack off and still get paid. E. All of the above. 2. Why do you stay in the classroom? A. Tenure. B. Mounting debt. C. You enjoy spending your salary on materials for students. D. It's so easy you barely have to do anything but ride the benefits package all the way to the bank. E. All of the above. 3. Which of the below would attract and keep more high quality candidates to the field of education? A. Larger class sizes. B. Merit pay based on high-stakes, multiple-choice assessments. C. More textbooks and testing. D. Increased adherence to rigid, common standards. E. All of the above. 4. How can we help improve teacher effectiveness? A. Eliminate extracurricular programs (such as art & PE) to ensure more class time to work on core subjects. B. Restrict classroom materials to keep students from getting distracted by too many resources. C. Mandate longer school days and school year. D. Prohibit field trips and limit free-time to provide more opportunities for you to teach skills. E. All of the above. 5. In your professional opinion, the best way to improve public education is to... A. Privatize it. B. Siphon money away from it to strengthen teachers' and students' will to survive. C. Reduce benefits for teachers. D. Villanize unions & scapegoat teachers, while simultaneously pandering to big business lobbyists. E. All of the above. STOP! You Have Reached the End of the Survey! Put your pencil down & mail this in. Image: Glennz for Despair.com I submitted 5 open-ended questions I thought lawmakers should ask teachers before crafting bills aimed at reforming education. The policymakers on the Education Policy Committee thought it was a great idea (especially after the stink teachers madeabout not being included in reform efforts in Florida).  However, in order to more easily quantify the responses, they added multiple choices to each question. As one senator told me, "Not only will this help us employ data to specifically target areas teachers identify as being most critical to school improvement, it will also make it easier for teachers to complete, as it is in a format they are quite familiar with." Touché, Senator. Touché. Below is a sample of the survey legislators will be sending out to educators across the nation: Education Reform Questions for Teachers Teachers, we want to know what you think!  By filling out this quick survey you will become a partner in this democratic and transparent process to shape education reform! Your voice will be heard! After we compile the results, in partnership with your recommendations, we'll craft legislation accordingly. Directions: For each question, please use a number 2 pencil and circle the answer you think is betterthan the others. 1. What inspired you to go into the field of teaching? A. The prestige. B. The money. C. The hours. D. The ability to slack off and still get paid. E. All of the above. 2. Why do you stay in the classroom? A. Tenure. B. Mounting debt. C. You enjoy spending your salary on materials for students. D. It's so easy you barely have to do anything but ride the benefits package all the way to the bank. E. All of the above. 3. Which of the below would attract and keep more high quality candidates to the field of education? A. Larger class sizes. B. Merit pay based on high-stakes, multiple-choice assessments. C. More textbooks and testing. D. Increased adherence to rigid, common standards. E. All of the above. 4. How can we help improve teacher effectiveness? A. Eliminate extracurricular programs (such as art & PE) to ensure more class time to work on core subjects. B. Restrict classroom materials to keep students from getting distracted by too many resources. C. Mandate longer school days and school year. D. Prohibit field trips and limit free-time to provide more opportunities for you to teach skills. E. All of the above. 5. In your professional opinion, the best way to improve public education is to... A. Privatize it. B. Siphon money away from it to strengthen teachers' and students' will to survive. C. Reduce benefits for teachers. D. Villanize unions & scapegoat teachers, while simultaneously pandering to big business lobbyists. E. All of the above. STOP! You Have Reached the End of the Survey! Put your pencil down & mail this in. Image: Glennz for Despair.com Wed, 28 Apr 2010 13:40:40 GMT http://edge.ascd.org/_Legislators-Send-Teacher-Surveys/blog/2318171/127586.html Jason_Flom 2010-04-28T13:40:40Z Blogs ASCD EDge I submitted 5 open-ended questions I thought lawmakers should ask teachers before crafting bills aimed at reforming education. The policymakers on the Education Policy Committee thought it was a great idea (especially after the stink teachers madeabout not being included in reform efforts in Florida).  However, in order to more easily quantify the responses, they added multiple choices to each question. As one senator told me, "Not only will this help us employ data to specifically target areas teachers identify as being most critical to school improvement, it will also make it easier for teachers to complete, as it is in a format they are quite familiar with." Touché, Senator. Touché. Below is a sample of the survey legislators will be sending out to educators across the nation: Education Reform Questions for Teachers Teachers, we want to know what you think!  By filling out this quick survey you will become a partner in this democratic and transparent process to shape education reform! Your voice will be heard! After we compile the results, in partnership with your recommendations, we'll craft legislation accordingly. Directions: For each question, please use a number 2 pencil and circle the answer you think is betterthan the others. 1. What inspired you to go into the field of teaching? A. The prestige. B. The money. C. The hours. D. The ability to slack off and still get paid. E. All of the above. 2. Why do you stay in the classroom? A. Tenure. B. Mounting debt. C. You enjoy spending your salary on materials for students. D. It's so easy you barely have to do anything but ride the benefits package all the way to the bank. E. All of the above. 3. Which of the below would attract and keep more high quality candidates to the field of education? A. Larger class sizes. B. Merit pay based on high-stakes, multiple-choice assessments. C. More textbooks and testing. D. Increased adherence to rigid, common standards. E. All of the above. 4. How can we help improve teacher effectiveness? A. Eliminate extracurricular programs (such as art & PE) to ensure more class time to work on core subjects. B. Restrict classroom materials to keep students from getting distracted by too many resources. C. Mandate longer school days and school year. D. Prohibit field trips and limit free-time to provide more opportunities for you to teach skills. E. All of the above. 5. In your professional opinion, the best way to improve public education is to... A. Privatize it. B. Siphon money away from it to strengthen teachers' and students' will to survive. C. Reduce benefits for teachers. D. Villanize unions & scapegoat teachers, while simultaneously pandering to big business lobbyists. E. All of the above. STOP! You Have Reached the End of the Survey! Put your pencil down & mail this in. Image: Glennz for Despair.com blogs, education policy, education reform, humor, parody, sarcasm, standardization, standardized tests, survey, teachers nonadult false Legislators Send Teacher Surveys text blog blogs,education policy,education reform,humor,parody,sarcasm,standardization,standardized tests,survey,teachers 723 0 0.0 http://edge.ascd.org/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=20433736&as=127586 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/127586/photos/PHOTO_7766452_127586_20433736_ap_160X120.jpg false United States FL Tallahassee 1 Blogs 0 2318171 20433736 ASCD EDge Member 414 http://edge.ascd.org/_Teacher-Uprising-2010/blog/2308275/127586.html Critics of Gov. Charlie Crist's veto of Sentate Bill 6 sensationalize it as "a real setback", "putting the brakes on progress" & squandering of "an opportunity to improve teacher effectiveness."   Across the nation editorial boards have sounded in on the debate raging down here in Florida, including the Chicago Tribune, which headlined their ed as, "Status Quo 1, Kids 0".   To this I say, "I don't think so."   More like -- Representative Government: 1, Status Quo: 0 The Real Status Quo   For far too long the status quo has been to enact reform upon teachers, rather than alongside them.   The prevailing wisdom has been, legislators and bureaucrats alone know what is best for our schools, not the teachers with years of experience serving in the classrooms. As a result we have been summarily left out of many conversations, SB6 included.   If we were as well heeled as other professionals -- doctors, lawyers, bankers -- we might swell the pockets of lobbyists and gain access to the closed doors behind which such legislation is cooked up. But we aren't well to do. We are paid a pittance and expected to accept whatever comes down the pipes at us.   (One might suggest that SB 6 would pay us more, but look at the reasoning from this group of Republican FL legislators, who opposed the bill, and you'll see that it is just not possible without raising taxes or class sizes or cutting programs and/or teachers. The district funding doesn't grow. There is no more money. Plus, additional funds will be funneled away from districts to the testing industry. What fuzzy math -- and/or gall -- leads policymakers to conclude there will be more money for teachers?)   The one group lobbying on teachers' behalf, unions, are villainized as impediments to growth, barriers to progress, and reviled for their opposition to legislation such as SB6.   However, while unions played a role, Crist's veto of SB6 is not of their doing.   This is a victory of the people who spoke up for themselves, as is their democratic responsibility. This "victory" is a testament to the power of voice in our representative democracy.   Crist's veto, even if politically motivated, demonstrated that if enough of us shout loud enough, someone's gonna hear us. The Teacher Uprising of 2010   The Teacher Uprising of 2010 was organized by we, the people: teachers, parents, and other concerned citizens, some union members, some not. (For the record, I am not in a union, but am a proud member of the teaching profession.) We organized through Facebook, Twitter, and cell phones to pushback against SB6.   The volume and clarity of we, the people, showed that the sort of business as usual that crafts and railroads such legislation is no longer an option.   We will not be left out of the education reform process any longer.   That's the status quo that must be changed first, before there can be any meaningful reform to our schools! Once we are brought to the table, then lasting & effective reform can be envisioned and implemented. A New World Order   If our leadership wishes to capitalize on the Teacher Uprising of 2010 for increasing teacher effectiveness, it needs to begin by talking and listening to the best teachers. (And despite assumptions otherwise, these teachers are not hard to identify. They are the ones with National Board Certification, who daily engage their students in complex lessons and offer substantive ideas in teacher meetings. They are the ones our kids talk about at home around the dinner table.)   Education policymakers need to ask such teachers some of the following questions: What is your blue sky for schools? What would increase your job satisfaction? What gets you inspired? What limits your inspiration? What would attract more teachers of your caliber to the classroom? How can we scaffold the profession to ensure there are new levels for the eager and innovative to aspire toward? How can we increase the success rate of new teachers? What would it take for you to teach in the schools most in need of your passion, expertise, and energy? What are the most significant limitations you face while teaching in public schools? What would a fair and equitable teacher accountability system consist of? What is the most important thing you do to set your students up for success?   If they ask, listen, and collaborate with us, I have no doubt we can move our schools toward the 21st century and not only increase teacher effectiveness, but cultivate life long learners in the process. It's a win-win-win. Image: Empowering Lives Tour Critics of Gov. Charlie Crist's veto of Sentate Bill 6 sensationalize it as "a real setback", "putting the brakes on progress" & squandering of "an opportunity to improve teacher effectiveness."   Across the nation editorial boards have sounded in on the debate raging down here in Florida, including the Chicago Tribune, which headlined their ed as, "Status Quo 1, Kids 0".   To this I say, "I don't think so."   More like -- Representative Government: 1, Status Quo: 0 The Real Status Quo   For far too long the status quo has been to enact reform upon teachers, rather than alongside them.   The prevailing wisdom has been, legislators and bureaucrats alone know what is best for our schools, not the teachers with years of experience serving in the classrooms. As a result we have been summarily left out of many conversations, SB6 included.   If we were as well heeled as other professionals -- doctors, lawyers, bankers -- we might swell the pockets of lobbyists and gain access to the closed doors behind which such legislation is cooked up. But we aren't well to do. We are paid a pittance and expected to accept whatever comes down the pipes at us.   (One might suggest that SB 6 would pay us more, but look at the reasoning from this group of Republican FL legislators, who opposed the bill, and you'll see that it is just not possible without raising taxes or class sizes or cutting programs and/or teachers. The district funding doesn't grow. There is no more money. Plus, additional funds will be funneled away from districts to the testing industry. What fuzzy math -- and/or gall -- leads policymakers to conclude there will be more money for teachers?)   The one group lobbying on teachers' behalf, unions, are villainized as impediments to growth, barriers to progress, and reviled for their opposition to legislation such as SB6.   However, while unions played a role, Crist's veto of SB6 is not of their doing.   This is a victory of the people who spoke up for themselves, as is their democratic responsibility. This "victory" is a testament to the power of voice in our representative democracy.   Crist's veto, even if politically motivated, demonstrated that if enough of us shout loud enough, someone's gonna hear us. The Teacher Uprising of 2010   The Teacher Uprising of 2010 was organized by we, the people: teachers, parents, and other concerned citizens, some union members, some not. (For the record, I am not in a union, but am a proud member of the teaching profession.) We organized through Facebook, Twitter, and cell phones to pushback against SB6.   The volume and clarity of we, the people, showed that the sort of business as usual that crafts and railroads such legislation is no longer an option.   We will not be left out of the education reform process any longer.   That's the status quo that must be changed first, before there can be any meaningful reform to our schools! Once we are brought to the table, then lasting & effective reform can be envisioned and implemented. A New World Order   If our leadership wishes to capitalize on the Teacher Uprising of 2010 for increasing teacher effectiveness, it needs to begin by talking and listening to the best teachers. (And despite assumptions otherwise, these teachers are not hard to identify. They are the ones with National Board Certification, who daily engage their students in complex lessons and offer substantive ideas in teacher meetings. They are the ones our kids talk about at home around the dinner table.)   Education policymakers need to ask such teachers some of the following questions: What is your blue sky for schools? What would increase your job satisfaction? What gets you inspired? What limits your inspiration? What would attract more teachers of your caliber to the classroom? How can we scaffold the profession to ensure there are new levels for the eager and innovative to aspire toward? How can we increase the success rate of new teachers? What would it take for you to teach in the schools most in need of your passion, expertise, and energy? What are the most significant limitations you face while teaching in public schools? What would a fair and equitable teacher accountability system consist of? What is the most important thing you do to set your students up for success?   If they ask, listen, and collaborate with us, I have no doubt we can move our schools toward the 21st century and not only increase teacher effectiveness, but cultivate life long learners in the process. It's a win-win-win. Image: Empowering Lives Tour Wed, 21 Apr 2010 13:56:14 GMT http://edge.ascd.org/_Teacher-Uprising-2010/blog/2308275/127586.html Jason_Flom 2010-04-21T13:56:14Z ASCD EDge Critics of Gov. Charlie Crist's veto of Sentate Bill 6 sensationalize it as "a real setback", "putting the brakes on progress" & squandering of "an opportunity to improve teacher effectiveness."   Across the nation editorial boards have sounded in on the debate raging down here in Florida, including the Chicago Tribune, which headlined their ed as, "Status Quo 1, Kids 0".   To this I say, "I don't think so."   More like -- Representative Government: 1, Status Quo: 0 The Real Status Quo   For far too long the status quo has been to enact reform upon teachers, rather than alongside them.   The prevailing wisdom has been, legislators and bureaucrats alone know what is best for our schools, not the teachers with years of experience serving in the classrooms. As a result we have been summarily left out of many conversations, SB6 included.   If we were as well heeled as other professionals -- doctors, lawyers, bankers -- we might swell the pockets of lobbyists and gain access to the closed doors behind which such legislation is cooked up. But we aren't well to do. We are paid a pittance and expected to accept whatever comes down the pipes at us.   (One might suggest that SB 6 would pay us more, but look at the reasoning from this group of Republican FL legislators, who opposed the bill, and you'll see that it is just not possible without raising taxes or class sizes or cutting programs and/or teachers. The district funding doesn't grow. There is no more money. Plus, additional funds will be funneled away from districts to the testing industry. What fuzzy math -- and/or gall -- leads policymakers to conclude there will be more money for teachers?)   The one group lobbying on teachers' behalf, unions, are villainized as impediments to growth, barriers to progress, and reviled for their opposition to legislation such as SB6.   However, while unions played a role, Crist's veto of SB6 is not of their doing.   This is a victory of the people who spoke up for themselves, as is their democratic responsibility. This "victory" is a testament to the power of voice in our representative democracy.   Crist's veto, even if politically motivated, demonstrated that if enough of us shout loud enough, someone's gonna hear us. The Teacher Uprising of 2010   The Teacher Uprising of 2010 was organized by we, the people: teachers, parents, and other concerned citizens, some union members, some not. (For the record, I am not in a union, but am a proud member of the teaching profession.) We organized through Facebook, Twitter, and cell phones to pushback against SB6.   The volume and clarity of we, the people, showed that the sort of business as usual that crafts and railroads such legislation is no longer an option.   We will not be left out of the education reform process any longer.   That's the status quo that must be changed first, before there can be any meaningful reform to our schools! Once we are brought to the table, then lasting & effective reform can be envisioned and implemented. A New World Order   If our leadership wishes to capitalize on the Teacher Uprising of 2010 for increasing teacher effectiveness, it needs to begin by talking and listening to the best teachers. (And despite assumptions otherwise, these teachers are not hard to identify. They are the ones with National Board Certification, who daily engage their students in complex lessons and offer substantive ideas in teacher meetings. They are the ones our kids talk about at home around the dinner table.)   Education policymakers need to ask such teachers some of the following questions: What is your blue sky for schools? What would increase your job satisfaction? What gets you inspired? What limits your inspiration? What would attract more teachers of your caliber to the classroom? How can we scaffold the profession to ensure there are new levels for the eager and innovative to aspire toward? How can we increase the success rate of new teachers? What would it take for you to teach in the schools most in need of your passion, expertise, and energy? What are the most significant limitations you face while teaching in public schools? What would a fair and equitable teacher accountability system consist of? What is the most important thing you do to set your students up for success?   If they ask, listen, and collaborate with us, I have no doubt we can move our schools toward the 21st century and not only increase teacher effectiveness, but cultivate life long learners in the process. It's a win-win-win. Image: Empowering Lives Tour florida nonadult false Teacher Uprising 2010! text blog florida 710 0 0.0 http://edge.ascd.org/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=20433736&as=127586 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/127586/photos/PHOTO_7766452_127586_20433736_ap_160X120.jpg false United States FL Tallahassee 0 1 2308275 20433736 ASCD EDge Member 414 http://edge.ascd.org/_Teachers-Voices-Fall-on-Deaf-Ears/blog/2287377/127586.html Last night I attended the 8 hour Florida House Education Council Committee meeting on House Bill 7189 (HB7189), which is the companion to Senate Bill 6. While I never had a chance to testify, I left feeling both more inflamed by this legislation and more proud to be a member of this profession than I've been in a long time.   Over 120 people came to speak out against this bill. Most were teachers, but there were also parents, principals, superintendents, and representatives from PTA, School Board Association, and Civic Concern in attendance.   There was bipartisan opposition with only partisan support among representatives.   Hour after hour I listened to teachers speak truth to power about schools, learning, and the reality of teaching in Florida. Teachers who have been teaching for 20, 30, and nearly 40 years offered their thoughts and insights, all of them speaking eloquently and passionately. They truly represented the best of our profession.   Common theme in many of their testimonies: Education in Florida is over-mandated and underfunded.   The question every representative supporting this draconian bill should have been asking them was this: How do we get more teachers like you in our state's classrooms, and then what's it going to take to get them to stay?   The main proponents speaking on behalf of the bill: Chamber of Commerce representatives, a spokesperson from Jeb Bush's Foundation for Florida's Future, and Florida's Secretary of Education, Eric J. Smith.   I wondered why the Chamber of Commerce was so dedicated to this bill.   If they were in this for the best interest of students and tomorrow's work force they would be citing the latest brain research, talking about creating innovative and engaging learning environments, and encouraging legislators to enact policies that provide students with meaningful learning experiences in which students apply skills in relevant contexts.   Their mantras would be:   Let's focus on job ready skills for helping Florida compete in a globalized world. Lets give these kids skills that can't be shipped overseas.   Then, I found this clue in the evaluation of Florida's Race to the Top application that shed light on the Chamber of Commerce's intense interest: A substantial amount of the resources requested are target(ed) to external vendors and contracted services as opposed to a systemic integration of the work into key functional units of the state department of education as well as other state agencies.   So . . . money will be pilfered from our schools and go to corporations . . . How much money?   Well, turns out, this bill does not begin the testing portion until the 2013-2014 school year. However, during the next three years districts are required to allocate 5% of their budgets for development of the measures used to assess teachers in order to reward them.   Code: Development of standardized tests.   This 5% amounts to $900 million dollars per year siphoned from our already cash strapped districts and funneled to private companies. Over the 3 year development period, that amounts to 2.7 billion dollars!   Let me repeat that: $2.7 billion from our schools -- our classrooms -- channeled to the testing industry.   At a time when districts are forced to eliminate programs and services due to budget cuts, teachers are paying for supplies out of pocket, and students must share textbooks because there are not enough for everyone, the legislature is mining schools to help companies profit.   There is a gross warping of education policy going on in Florida. The Hillsborough Example   One irony in this dark comedy is that we have in our state an example of unions and policy makers working together to create a merit/performance pay plan that everyone can agree on.   Hillsborough County applied for (and won) a $100 million grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to create and implement a collaborative plan for differentiating teacher pay and measuring student growth.   In order to not negate the grant, legislators amended SB6 so that Hillsborough county would be exempt during their grant period. Even so, numerous teachers from Hillsborough testified against HB7189 offering their district as an example of what can be accomplished when lawmakers and teachers work together.   As a principal remarked to the committee, "Rather than exempting them, we ought to be following their leadership."   Teachers are not against using standardized testing to measure growth. They aren't against merit/performance pay. What they are against:   Being left out of major reform that does not include their input. State mandates that pillage from local districts's limited funds to pay private companies. Reforms that do not promote meaningful learning. Deaf legislators.   It is time for Florida leadership to see the writing on the wall.   This railroading of the bill disrespects the professionalism of educators. And when teachers and districts do not support or stand behind these reform measures recruitment efforts to attract and keep the best and the brightest to our classrooms will be severely undermined. Image: Bluejayway67 Last night I attended the 8 hour Florida House Education Council Committee meeting on House Bill 7189 (HB7189), which is the companion to Senate Bill 6. While I never had a chance to testify, I left feeling both more inflamed by this legislation and more proud to be a member of this profession than I've been in a long time.   Over 120 people came to speak out against this bill. Most were teachers, but there were also parents, principals, superintendents, and representatives from PTA, School Board Association, and Civic Concern in attendance.   There was bipartisan opposition with only partisan support among representatives.   Hour after hour I listened to teachers speak truth to power about schools, learning, and the reality of teaching in Florida. Teachers who have been teaching for 20, 30, and nearly 40 years offered their thoughts and insights, all of them speaking eloquently and passionately. They truly represented the best of our profession.   Common theme in many of their testimonies: Education in Florida is over-mandated and underfunded.   The question every representative supporting this draconian bill should have been asking them was this: How do we get more teachers like you in our state's classrooms, and then what's it going to take to get them to stay?   The main proponents speaking on behalf of the bill: Chamber of Commerce representatives, a spokesperson from Jeb Bush's Foundation for Florida's Future, and Florida's Secretary of Education, Eric J. Smith.   I wondered why the Chamber of Commerce was so dedicated to this bill.   If they were in this for the best interest of students and tomorrow's work force they would be citing the latest brain research, talking about creating innovative and engaging learning environments, and encouraging legislators to enact policies that provide students with meaningful learning experiences in which students apply skills in relevant contexts.   Their mantras would be:   Let's focus on job ready skills for helping Florida compete in a globalized world. Lets give these kids skills that can't be shipped overseas.   Then, I found this clue in the evaluation of Florida's Race to the Top application that shed light on the Chamber of Commerce's intense interest: A substantial amount of the resources requested are target(ed) to external vendors and contracted services as opposed to a systemic integration of the work into key functional units of the state department of education as well as other state agencies.   So . . . money will be pilfered from our schools and go to corporations . . . How much money?   Well, turns out, this bill does not begin the testing portion until the 2013-2014 school year. However, during the next three years districts are required to allocate 5% of their budgets for development of the measures used to assess teachers in order to reward them.   Code: Development of standardized tests.   This 5% amounts to $900 million dollars per year siphoned from our already cash strapped districts and funneled to private companies. Over the 3 year development period, that amounts to 2.7 billion dollars!   Let me repeat that: $2.7 billion from our schools -- our classrooms -- channeled to the testing industry.   At a time when districts are forced to eliminate programs and services due to budget cuts, teachers are paying for supplies out of pocket, and students must share textbooks because there are not enough for everyone, the legislature is mining schools to help companies profit.   There is a gross warping of education policy going on in Florida. The Hillsborough Example   One irony in this dark comedy is that we have in our state an example of unions and policy makers working together to create a merit/performance pay plan that everyone can agree on.   Hillsborough County applied for (and won) a $100 million grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to create and implement a collaborative plan for differentiating teacher pay and measuring student growth.   In order to not negate the grant, legislators amended SB6 so that Hillsborough county would be exempt during their grant period. Even so, numerous teachers from Hillsborough testified against HB7189 offering their district as an example of what can be accomplished when lawmakers and teachers work together.   As a principal remarked to the committee, "Rather than exempting them, we ought to be following their leadership."   Teachers are not against using standardized testing to measure growth. They aren't against merit/performance pay. What they are against:   Being left out of major reform that does not include their input. State mandates that pillage from local districts's limited funds to pay private companies. Reforms that do not promote meaningful learning. Deaf legislators.   It is time for Florida leadership to see the writing on the wall.   This railroading of the bill disrespects the professionalism of educators. And when teachers and districts do not support or stand behind these reform measures recruitment efforts to attract and keep the best and the brightest to our classrooms will be severely undermined. Image: Bluejayway67 Wed, 07 Apr 2010 18:07:54 GMT http://edge.ascd.org/_Teachers-Voices-Fall-on-Deaf-Ears/blog/2287377/127586.html Jason_Flom 2010-04-07T18:07:54Z ASCD EDge Last night I attended the 8 hour Florida House Education Council Committee meeting on House Bill 7189 (HB7189), which is the companion to Senate Bill 6. While I never had a chance to testify, I left feeling both more inflamed by this legislation and more proud to be a member of this profession than I've been in a long time.   Over 120 people came to speak out against this bill. Most were teachers, but there were also parents, principals, superintendents, and representatives from PTA, School Board Association, and Civic Concern in attendance.   There was bipartisan opposition with only partisan support among representatives.   Hour after hour I listened to teachers speak truth to power about schools, learning, and the reality of teaching in Florida. Teachers who have been teaching for 20, 30, and nearly 40 years offered their thoughts and insights, all of them speaking eloquently and passionately. They truly represented the best of our profession.   Common theme in many of their testimonies: Education in Florida is over-mandated and underfunded.   The question every representative supporting this draconian bill should have been asking them was this: How do we get more teachers like you in our state's classrooms, and then what's it going to take to get them to stay?   The main proponents speaking on behalf of the bill: Chamber of Commerce representatives, a spokesperson from Jeb Bush's Foundation for Florida's Future, and Florida's Secretary of Education, Eric J. Smith.   I wondered why the Chamber of Commerce was so dedicated to this bill.   If they were in this for the best interest of students and tomorrow's work force they would be citing the latest brain research, talking about creating innovative and engaging learning environments, and encouraging legislators to enact policies that provide students with meaningful learning experiences in which students apply skills in relevant contexts.   Their mantras would be:   Let's focus on job ready skills for helping Florida compete in a globalized world. Lets give these kids skills that can't be shipped overseas.   Then, I found this clue in the evaluation of Florida's Race to the Top application that shed light on the Chamber of Commerce's intense interest: A substantial amount of the resources requested are target(ed) to external vendors and contracted services as opposed to a systemic integration of the work into key functional units of the state department of education as well as other state agencies.   So . . . money will be pilfered from our schools and go to corporations . . . How much money?   Well, turns out, this bill does not begin the testing portion until the 2013-2014 school year. However, during the next three years districts are required to allocate 5% of their budgets for development of the measures used to assess teachers in order to reward them.   Code: Development of standardized tests.   This 5% amounts to $900 million dollars per year siphoned from our already cash strapped districts and funneled to private companies. Over the 3 year development period, that amounts to 2.7 billion dollars!   Let me repeat that: $2.7 billion from our schools -- our classrooms -- channeled to the testing industry.   At a time when districts are forced to eliminate programs and services due to budget cuts, teachers are paying for supplies out of pocket, and students must share textbooks because there are not enough for everyone, the legislature is mining schools to help companies profit.   There is a gross warping of education policy going on in Florida. The Hillsborough Example   One irony in this dark comedy is that we have in our state an example of unions and policy makers working together to create a merit/performance pay plan that everyone can agree on.   Hillsborough County applied for (and won) a $100 million grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to create and implement a collaborative plan for differentiating teacher pay and measuring student growth.   In order to not negate the grant, legislators amended SB6 so that Hillsborough county would be exempt during their grant period. Even so, numerous teachers from Hillsborough testified against HB7189 offering their district as an example of what can be accomplished when lawmakers and teachers work together.   As a principal remarked to the committee, "Rather than exempting them, we ought to be following their leadership."   Teachers are not against using standardized testing to measure growth. They aren't against merit/performance pay. What they are against:   Being left out of major reform that does not include their input. State mandates that pillage from local districts's limited funds to pay private companies. Reforms that do not promote meaningful learning. Deaf legislators.   It is time for Florida leadership to see the writing on the wall.   This railroading of the bill disrespects the professionalism of educators. And when teachers and districts do not support or stand behind these reform measures recruitment efforts to attract and keep the best and the brightest to our classrooms will be severely undermined. Image: Bluejayway67 education policy, education reform, hb7189, merit pay, sb6, standardization, standardized tests nonadult false Teachers' Voices Fall on Deaf Ears text blog education policy,education reform,hb7189,merit pay,sb6,standardization,standardized tests 781 0 0.0 http://edge.ascd.org/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=20433736&as=127586 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/127586/photos/PHOTO_7766452_127586_20433736_ap_160X120.jpg false United States FL Tallahassee 0 0 2287377 20433736 ASCD EDge Member 414 http://edge.ascd.org/_10-Gaps-in-Education/blog/2275139/127586.html Not all gaps are created equal. The Achievement Gap gets the most press and seems to have the most leverage. But there are a host of others. Read on for a handy dandy guide to 10 Gaps in Education, and then add your own in the comment section.     Legislative Gap Distance between lawmakers and teachers. Potential Gap Difference between a students' potential and the tasks they are asked to do. Stimulant Gap Time between the bottom of one cup of coffee and a refill. Often described as "The Unbearable Gap" on Mondays. The Rumsfeld Gap The schools, teachers, parents, & students we have vs. the schools, teachers, parents, & students we want. The Billable Gap When educators daydream about the money they'd make if they could bill their hours. "65 hrs this week, times 4 weeks this month, times $125 per hour = Cha-Ching!" The Arm Chair Gap When folks with no teaching experience suddenly become experts on issues in education after reading an editorial or article. The Restraint Gap What a teacher wants to do vs. What a teacher must do when confronted by someone suffering from The Arm Chair Gap. The Manchurian Gap Students who are brainwashed to believe that answering test prep questions actually prepares them for entering the work force. The Coup d'Gap When policy makers seize the reins of the education debate by scapegoating and alienating teachers. Often characterized by language centered on market terms -- accountability, input/output, achievement -- and rigor with little or no mention of students, vigor, or relevance. The Back-to-the-Future Delorean Gap Often experienced in schools where there is a mix between 19th century teachers/administrators and 21st century technology proponents. Image: Crooner Not all gaps are created equal. The Achievement Gap gets the most press and seems to have the most leverage. But there are a host of others. Read on for a handy dandy guide to 10 Gaps in Education, and then add your own in the comment section.     Legislative Gap Distance between lawmakers and teachers. Potential Gap Difference between a students' potential and the tasks they are asked to do. Stimulant Gap Time between the bottom of one cup of coffee and a refill. Often described as "The Unbearable Gap" on Mondays. The Rumsfeld Gap The schools, teachers, parents, & students we have vs. the schools, teachers, parents, & students we want. The Billable Gap When educators daydream about the money they'd make if they could bill their hours. "65 hrs this week, times 4 weeks this month, times $125 per hour = Cha-Ching!" The Arm Chair Gap When folks with no teaching experience suddenly become experts on issues in education after reading an editorial or article. The Restraint Gap What a teacher wants to do vs. What a teacher must do when confronted by someone suffering from The Arm Chair Gap. The Manchurian Gap Students who are brainwashed to believe that answering test prep questions actually prepares them for entering the work force. The Coup d'Gap When policy makers seize the reins of the education debate by scapegoating and alienating teachers. Often characterized by language centered on market terms -- accountability, input/output, achievement -- and rigor with little or no mention of students, vigor, or relevance. The Back-to-the-Future Delorean Gap Often experienced in schools where there is a mix between 19th century teachers/administrators and 21st century technology proponents. Image: Crooner Wed, 31 Mar 2010 11:45:58 GMT http://edge.ascd.org/_10-Gaps-in-Education/blog/2275139/127586.html Jason_Flom 2010-03-31T11:45:58Z ASCD EDge Not all gaps are created equal. The Achievement Gap gets the most press and seems to have the most leverage. But there are a host of others. Read on for a handy dandy guide to 10 Gaps in Education, and then add your own in the comment section.     Legislative Gap Distance between lawmakers and teachers. Potential Gap Difference between a students' potential and the tasks they are asked to do. Stimulant Gap Time between the bottom of one cup of coffee and a refill. Often described as "The Unbearable Gap" on Mondays. The Rumsfeld Gap The schools, teachers, parents, & students we have vs. the schools, teachers, parents, & students we want. The Billable Gap When educators daydream about the money they'd make if they could bill their hours. "65 hrs this week, times 4 weeks this month, times $125 per hour = Cha-Ching!" The Arm Chair Gap When folks with no teaching experience suddenly become experts on issues in education after reading an editorial or article. The Restraint Gap What a teacher wants to do vs. What a teacher must do when confronted by someone suffering from The Arm Chair Gap. The Manchurian Gap Students who are brainwashed to believe that answering test prep questions actually prepares them for entering the work force. The Coup d'Gap When policy makers seize the reins of the education debate by scapegoating and alienating teachers. Often characterized by language centered on market terms -- accountability, input/output, achievement -- and rigor with little or no mention of students, vigor, or relevance. The Back-to-the-Future Delorean Gap Often experienced in schools where there is a mix between 19th century teachers/administrators and 21st century technology proponents. Image: Crooner achievement gap, gap, humor nonadult false 10 Gaps in Education text blog achievement gap,gap,humor 5086 10 5.0 http://edge.ascd.org/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=20433736&as=127586 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/127586/photos/PHOTO_7766452_127586_20433736_ap_160X120.jpg false United States FL Tallahassee 2 0 2275139 20433736 ASCD EDge Member 414 http://edge.ascd.org/_Critical-Transformations-15-Tools-Ideas-Concepts/blog/2156710/127586.html Critical Transformations, ASCD's 2010 Annual Conference, in San Antonio, TX.   Major seismic shifts can transform instructors, and by proxy, instruction. However, more often than not, it's just the opposite.   Slight shifts cumulatively lead to substantive change.   In looking to critically transform how we teach, learn and administer our education system, the get-'er-done-quick-n-big approach often leads to a horse race mentality.   "Achievement on the first turn, picking up the pace. Performance lags on the straight away, lengthening the gap between States and Standards. District X is pulling ahead, while Schools falls behind. Proficiency, rounding the final turn, looking strong, but oh-no, a slip on tricky patch of poor teaching and. . ."   It gets tiring. (Plus, I'm beginning to suspect that it is the politicians placing the bets and setting the odds.)   Instead, when we focus on attaining stated, achievable goals we find that at the intersection of opportunity and possibility, a flooded riverbed can become the River Walk. Transforming education and how we teach matters. It's called growth, and it begins with a small acts.   Sometimes the most profound catalysts are tiny:   Shifts in how we perceive this generation of students. (via @ASCD_Inservice) Stoking the fire of efficacy and our belief in each student. (via @ASCD_Inservice) Implementing just one project. (via @bengrey) Reflecting on and incorporating some tenets of effective leadership. (via @JasonFlom) Building bridges beyond the classroom/school walls. (via @angelamaiers) Learning new tools that change how we view our surroundings. (via @edteck) Embracing students' love of games. (via @vgloucester) Exploring the possibilities of connective technology to ensure learning for all. (via @beckyfisher73, @paulawhite, @kwmarcus1) Take the "Nothing is Impossible" leap of faith. (via @bjnichols) Looking ahead and charting a course. (via @ASCD) Incorporating some aspect of Globalization into learning. (via @stevejmoore & @JasonFlom) Mixing up the traditional with imagery. (via @glovely) Being ever mindful of our language. (via @joe_bower) Fighting, always, for the Whole Child. (via @WholeChildAdv) Learning does matter. (via @John_Merrow)   Transformation unseats the status quo. Unsettling the status quo necessitates leaving our comfort zones, and risks failure. However failure, if utilized properly, can be as powerful a teacher as success.  Sometimes even more so.   As educators & leaders we must provide safe and supportive environments for those in our charge -- be they students, teachers, or principals -- to take the chances that lead to new heights. It is in the realm of the unknown (where we can pursue dreams and push our limits) that we begin to critically transform what is into what can be.   (My apologies to all the great people and resources that deserve to be included. I could not include everything. In this age of data deluge, it's just not possible.  Was not intentional. Please include additional resources in the comments, please.) Critical Transformations, ASCD's 2010 Annual Conference, in San Antonio, TX.   Major seismic shifts can transform instructors, and by proxy, instruction. However, more often than not, it's just the opposite.   Slight shifts cumulatively lead to substantive change.   In looking to critically transform how we teach, learn and administer our education system, the get-'er-done-quick-n-big approach often leads to a horse race mentality.   "Achievement on the first turn, picking up the pace. Performance lags on the straight away, lengthening the gap between States and Standards. District X is pulling ahead, while Schools falls behind. Proficiency, rounding the final turn, looking strong, but oh-no, a slip on tricky patch of poor teaching and. . ."   It gets tiring. (Plus, I'm beginning to suspect that it is the politicians placing the bets and setting the odds.)   Instead, when we focus on attaining stated, achievable goals we find that at the intersection of opportunity and possibility, a flooded riverbed can become the River Walk. Transforming education and how we teach matters. It's called growth, and it begins with a small acts.   Sometimes the most profound catalysts are tiny:   Shifts in how we perceive this generation of students. (via @ASCD_Inservice) Stoking the fire of efficacy and our belief in each student. (via @ASCD_Inservice) Implementing just one project. (via @bengrey) Reflecting on and incorporating some tenets of effective leadership. (via @JasonFlom) Building bridges beyond the classroom/school walls. (via @angelamaiers) Learning new tools that change how we view our surroundings. (via @edteck) Embracing students' love of games. (via @vgloucester) Exploring the possibilities of connective technology to ensure learning for all. (via @beckyfisher73, @paulawhite, @kwmarcus1) Take the "Nothing is Impossible" leap of faith. (via @bjnichols) Looking ahead and charting a course. (via @ASCD) Incorporating some aspect of Globalization into learning. (via @stevejmoore & @JasonFlom) Mixing up the traditional with imagery. (via @glovely) Being ever mindful of our language. (via @joe_bower) Fighting, always, for the Whole Child. (via @WholeChildAdv) Learning does matter. (via @John_Merrow)   Transformation unseats the status quo. Unsettling the status quo necessitates leaving our comfort zones, and risks failure. However failure, if utilized properly, can be as powerful a teacher as success.  Sometimes even more so.   As educators & leaders we must provide safe and supportive environments for those in our charge -- be they students, teachers, or principals -- to take the chances that lead to new heights. It is in the realm of the unknown (where we can pursue dreams and push our limits) that we begin to critically transform what is into what can be.   (My apologies to all the great people and resources that deserve to be included. I could not include everything. In this age of data deluge, it's just not possible.  Was not intentional. Please include additional resources in the comments, please.) Mon, 15 Mar 2010 21:59:45 GMT http://edge.ascd.org/_Critical-Transformations-15-Tools-Ideas-Concepts/blog/2156710/127586.html Jason_Flom 2010-03-15T21:59:45Z Blogs ASCD EDge Critical Transformations, ASCD's 2010 Annual Conference, in San Antonio, TX.   Major seismic shifts can transform instructors, and by proxy, instruction. However, more often than not, it's just the opposite.   Slight shifts cumulatively lead to substantive change.   In looking to critically transform how we teach, learn and administer our education system, the get-'er-done-quick-n-big approach often leads to a horse race mentality.   "Achievement on the first turn, picking up the pace. Performance lags on the straight away, lengthening the gap between States and Standards. District X is pulling ahead, while Schools falls behind. Proficiency, rounding the final turn, looking strong, but oh-no, a slip on tricky patch of poor teaching and. . ."   It gets tiring. (Plus, I'm beginning to suspect that it is the politicians placing the bets and setting the odds.)   Instead, when we focus on attaining stated, achievable goals we find that at the intersection of opportunity and possibility, a flooded riverbed can become the River Walk. Transforming education and how we teach matters. It's called growth, and it begins with a small acts.   Sometimes the most profound catalysts are tiny:   Shifts in how we perceive this generation of students. (via @ASCD_Inservice) Stoking the fire of efficacy and our belief in each student. (via @ASCD_Inservice) Implementing just one project. (via @bengrey) Reflecting on and incorporating some tenets of effective leadership. (via @JasonFlom) Building bridges beyond the classroom/school walls. (via @angelamaiers) Learning new tools that change how we view our surroundings. (via @edteck) Embracing students' love of games. (via @vgloucester) Exploring the possibilities of connective technology to ensure learning for all. (via @beckyfisher73, @paulawhite, @kwmarcus1) Take the "Nothing is Impossible" leap of faith. (via @bjnichols) Looking ahead and charting a course. (via @ASCD) Incorporating some aspect of Globalization into learning. (via @stevejmoore & @JasonFlom) Mixing up the traditional with imagery. (via @glovely) Being ever mindful of our language. (via @joe_bower) Fighting, always, for the Whole Child. (via @WholeChildAdv) Learning does matter. (via @John_Merrow)   Transformation unseats the status quo. Unsettling the status quo necessitates leaving our comfort zones, and risks failure. However failure, if utilized properly, can be as powerful a teacher as success.  Sometimes even more so.   As educators & leaders we must provide safe and supportive environments for those in our charge -- be they students, teachers, or principals -- to take the chances that lead to new heights. It is in the realm of the unknown (where we can pursue dreams and push our limits) that we begin to critically transform what is into what can be.   (My apologies to all the great people and resources that deserve to be included. I could not include everything. In this age of data deluge, it's just not possible.  Was not intentional. Please include additional resources in the comments, please.) blogs, change, leadership, learning nonadult false Critical Transformations: 15 Tools, Ideas, Concepts text blog blogs,change,leadership,learning 896 10 5.0 http://edge.ascd.org/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=20433736&as=127586 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/127586/photos/PHOTO_7766452_127586_20433736_ap_160X120.jpg false United States FL Tallahassee 0 Blogs 0 2156710 20433736 ASCD EDge Member 414 http://edge.ascd.org/_Learning-in-the-Age-of-Globalization/blog/2156739/127586.html [image]Yong Zhao, like Daniel Pink, makes a compelling case for re-imagining our school system in the age of globalization. With our current overemphasis on knowledge transmission, we run the risk of sacrificing innovation, all in the pursuit of scores. In his session at ASCD's Annual Conference in San Antonio, Zhao provided a glance at some international education reforms that move toward what our policy seems design to limit: autonomy, creativity, and innovation: Japan: Respecting individual school autonomy Singapore: explicit teaching of critical and creative thinking skills; reduction of subject content; revision of assessment modes Korea: ultimate goal is to cultivate creative, autonomous, and self-driven human resources who will lead the era's developments in information, knowldge and globalization In 1964, the first international mathematics study (FIMS) tested 13 year olds from 12 nations. US finished second to last. Such comparisons leads us to the question, what matters? Zhao suggests the following: Diversity of talents Creativity Entrepreneurship Passion In support of these elements he considers schools' talent shows a strength. Whoa, whoa, whoa.  Hit the breaks.   Talent shows as a strength? Isn't that the problem?  We're wasting our time with obscure, random celebrations of student mediocrity when we should be focusing on skill development, accountability, and achievement. Here, Zhao asks us to go with him for a second, to pull away from the short term analysis and to look at the larger trends and values therein. "School talent shows value individual talents, inspire passion and responsibility, tolerate deviation, and cultivate entrepreneurship." To make the case stronger, he employs the idea of children as pop-corn -- some pop early, some pop late. And in this mindset we respect individual differences, have faith in every child, and give second, third, fourth chances. There are essential learnings that can happen herein that help students develop skills that cannot be shipped overseas. Globalization: The Death of Distance Technology is rendering specific knowledge increasingly less valuable. Think of London taxi drivers who might spend three years learning and memorizing every street in the city before GPS was made widely available. What do we offer that companies cannot get overseas? Here Zhao makes the case that the 21st century is about personalization and customization, with the idea that "something local becomes more valuable." He implores us to cultivate talents that can guide students through (and help them take advantage of) globalization. Global Competences Culture intelligence Skills Attitutdes Perspectives Values/identity Knowledge of the globe Global economics Global problems Interdependence Languages and culture Living in the digital world Consumers Citizens Community leaders Making a living in the digital world Digital workers Global workers (Re)Creating the digital world Innovators Entrepreneurs How can we do it? We need, "Schools as Global Enterprises: Re-imagine Education in the Age of Globalization." Schools as Global Enterprises would focus on: Global products Global resources Global market Global staffing Input-based Accountability Physical environment Leadership Learning facilities Teacher quality Diverse opportunities Student voice Tolerance Global connections In the end Zhao says we need to reinvest and regain trust in our public school system. Education is about dreams. Not about rules. Image: Clemson [image]Yong Zhao, like Daniel Pink, makes a compelling case for re-imagining our school system in the age of globalization. With our current overemphasis on knowledge transmission, we run the risk of sacrificing innovation, all in the pursuit of scores. In his session at ASCD's Annual Conference in San Antonio, Zhao provided a glance at some international education reforms that move toward what our policy seems design to limit: autonomy, creativity, and innovation: Japan: Respecting individual school autonomy Singapore: explicit teaching of critical and creative thinking skills; reduction of subject content; revision of assessment modes Korea: ultimate goal is to cultivate creative, autonomous, and self-driven human resources who will lead the era's developments in information, knowldge and globalization In 1964, the first international mathematics study (FIMS) tested 13 year olds from 12 nations. US finished second to last. Such comparisons leads us to the question, what matters? Zhao suggests the following: Diversity of talents Creativity Entrepreneurship Passion In support of these elements he considers schools' talent shows a strength. Whoa, whoa, whoa.  Hit the breaks.   Talent shows as a strength? Isn't that the problem?  We're wasting our time with obscure, random celebrations of student mediocrity when we should be focusing on skill development, accountability, and achievement. Here, Zhao asks us to go with him for a second, to pull away from the short term analysis and to look at the larger trends and values therein. "School talent shows value individual talents, inspire passion and responsibility, tolerate deviation, and cultivate entrepreneurship." To make the case stronger, he employs the idea of children as pop-corn -- some pop early, some pop late. And in this mindset we respect individual differences, have faith in every child, and give second, third, fourth chances. There are essential learnings that can happen herein that help students develop skills that cannot be shipped overseas. Globalization: The Death of Distance Technology is rendering specific knowledge increasingly less valuable. Think of London taxi drivers who might spend three years learning and memorizing every street in the city before GPS was made widely available. What do we offer that companies cannot get overseas? Here Zhao makes the case that the 21st century is about personalization and customization, with the idea that "something local becomes more valuable." He implores us to cultivate talents that can guide students through (and help them take advantage of) globalization. Global Competences Culture intelligence Skills Attitutdes Perspectives Values/identity Knowledge of the globe Global economics Global problems Interdependence Languages and culture Living in the digital world Consumers Citizens Community leaders Making a living in the digital world Digital workers Global workers (Re)Creating the digital world Innovators Entrepreneurs How can we do it? We need, "Schools as Global Enterprises: Re-imagine Education in the Age of Globalization." Schools as Global Enterprises would focus on: Global products Global resources Global market Global staffing Input-based Accountability Physical environment Leadership Learning facilities Teacher quality Diverse opportunities Student voice Tolerance Global connections In the end Zhao says we need to reinvest and regain trust in our public school system. Education is about dreams. Not about rules. Image: Clemson Mon, 15 Mar 2010 18:12:06 GMT http://edge.ascd.org/_Learning-in-the-Age-of-Globalization/blog/2156739/127586.html Jason_Flom 2010-03-15T18:12:06Z ASCD EDge [image]Yong Zhao, like Daniel Pink, makes a compelling case for re-imagining our school system in the age of globalization. With our current overemphasis on knowledge transmission, we run the risk of sacrificing innovation, all in the pursuit of scores. In his session at ASCD's Annual Conference in San Antonio, Zhao provided a glance at some international education reforms that move toward what our policy seems design to limit: autonomy, creativity, and innovation: Japan: Respecting individual school autonomy Singapore: explicit teaching of critical and creative thinking skills; reduction of subject content; revision of assessment modes Korea: ultimate goal is to cultivate creative, autonomous, and self-driven human resources who will lead the era's developments in information, knowldge and globalization In 1964, the first international mathematics study (FIMS) tested 13 year olds from 12 nations. US finished second to last. Such comparisons leads us to the question, what matters? Zhao suggests the following: Diversity of talents Creativity Entrepreneurship Passion In support of these elements he considers schools' talent shows a strength. Whoa, whoa, whoa.  Hit the breaks.   Talent shows as a strength? Isn't that the problem?  We're wasting our time with obscure, random celebrations of student mediocrity when we should be focusing on skill development, accountability, and achievement. Here, Zhao asks us to go with him for a second, to pull away from the short term analysis and to look at the larger trends and values therein. "School talent shows value individual talents, inspire passion and responsibility, tolerate deviation, and cultivate entrepreneurship." To make the case stronger, he employs the idea of children as pop-corn -- some pop early, some pop late. And in this mindset we respect individual differences, have faith in every child, and give second, third, fourth chances. There are essential learnings that can happen herein that help students develop skills that cannot be shipped overseas. Globalization: The Death of Distance Technology is rendering specific knowledge increasingly less valuable. Think of London taxi drivers who might spend three years learning and memorizing every street in the city before GPS was made widely available. What do we offer that companies cannot get overseas? Here Zhao makes the case that the 21st century is about personalization and customization, with the idea that "something local becomes more valuable." He implores us to cultivate talents that can guide students through (and help them take advantage of) globalization. Global Competences Culture intelligence Skills Attitutdes Perspectives Values/identity Knowledge of the globe Global economics Global problems Interdependence Languages and culture Living in the digital world Consumers Citizens Community leaders Making a living in the digital world Digital workers Global workers (Re)Creating the digital world Innovators Entrepreneurs How can we do it? We need, "Schools as Global Enterprises: Re-imagine Education in the Age of Globalization." Schools as Global Enterprises would focus on: Global products Global resources Global market Global staffing Input-based Accountability Physical environment Leadership Learning facilities Teacher quality Diverse opportunities Student voice Tolerance Global connections In the end Zhao says we need to reinvest and regain trust in our public school system. Education is about dreams. Not about rules. Image: Clemson globalization, yong zhao nonadult false Learning in the Age of Globalization text blog globalization,yong zhao 701 0 0.0 http://edge.ascd.org/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=20433736&as=127586 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/127586/photos/PHOTO_7766452_127586_20433736_ap_160X120.jpg false United States FL Tallahassee 0 0 2156739 20433736 ASCD EDge Member 414 http://edge.ascd.org/_Change-Leadership-9-Insights/blog/2156717/127586.html In Michael Fullan's session, "Leadership for All" at the ASCD Annual conference in San Antonio, he looks closely at what practices lead to effective leadership in change. The main chunk of his talk looked at what he called, "Ready-Fire-Aim" dealing with 9 insights of  leadership. 1. Relationships first (too fast/too slow): The art of change is hitting that sweet spot -- don't come in so fast that you put people off, nor so slow that you get absorbed by culture. Careful entry to new setting Listening to and learning from those who have been there longer Engaging in fact finding and joint problem solving Carefully (rather than rashly) diagnosing the situation 2. Honor the implementation dip After change is introduced the costs are immediate and palpable, performance dips. "Don't expect many compliments." Perceived performance gap between the myth of where you could be and actual performance 3. Beware of fat plans The size and the prettiness of the plan is inversely related to the quality of action and the impact on student learning. 4. Behaviors before beliefs Most of us change our behaviors somewhat before we get insights into new beliefs. The implication for approaching new change is clear. Do not load up on vision, evidence, and sense of urgency.  Rather, give people new experiences in relatively non-threatehning circumstnaces. 5. Communication during implementation is paramount Communication during implementation is far more important then communication prior to implementation. Communication in the abstract, in the absence of action, means almost nothing. Need lots of two way communication during implementation Leaders need a receive button as well as a send button Think-Pair-Share in meetings: generating ideas & problem solving. 6. Learn about implementation during implementation One of the most powerful strategies is to find different ways for implementers to learn from other implementers, especially those in similar circumstances who are further down the line. 7. Excitement prior to implementation is fragile Excitement in advance of doing something is understandable, but it does not have much of a foundation.  Indeed, the fall in the implementation dip will be even greater if high aspiration precede it (Over) Excitement can isolate leaders Must be grounded excitement 8. Take risks and learn The skinny on risk taking is known by all organizations that are consistently successful. Making mistakes in the early stages of implementation are normal, and must be treated non-judgmentally as opportunities to learn. Risks leave the status quo 9. Its okay to be assertive Many of the potentially best leaders in these democratic times are often reticent to be assertive Image: Being First In Michael Fullan's session, "Leadership for All" at the ASCD Annual conference in San Antonio, he looks closely at what practices lead to effective leadership in change. The main chunk of his talk looked at what he called, "Ready-Fire-Aim" dealing with 9 insights of  leadership. 1. Relationships first (too fast/too slow): The art of change is hitting that sweet spot -- don't come in so fast that you put people off, nor so slow that you get absorbed by culture. Careful entry to new setting Listening to and learning from those who have been there longer Engaging in fact finding and joint problem solving Carefully (rather than rashly) diagnosing the situation 2. Honor the implementation dip After change is introduced the costs are immediate and palpable, performance dips. "Don't expect many compliments." Perceived performance gap between the myth of where you could be and actual performance 3. Beware of fat plans The size and the prettiness of the plan is inversely related to the quality of action and the impact on student learning. 4. Behaviors before beliefs Most of us change our behaviors somewhat before we get insights into new beliefs. The implication for approaching new change is clear. Do not load up on vision, evidence, and sense of urgency.  Rather, give people new experiences in relatively non-threatehning circumstnaces. 5. Communication during implementation is paramount Communication during implementation is far more important then communication prior to implementation. Communication in the abstract, in the absence of action, means almost nothing. Need lots of two way communication during implementation Leaders need a receive button as well as a send button Think-Pair-Share in meetings: generating ideas & problem solving. 6. Learn about implementation during implementation One of the most powerful strategies is to find different ways for implementers to learn from other implementers, especially those in similar circumstances who are further down the line. 7. Excitement prior to implementation is fragile Excitement in advance of doing something is understandable, but it does not have much of a foundation.  Indeed, the fall in the implementation dip will be even greater if high aspiration precede it (Over) Excitement can isolate leaders Must be grounded excitement 8. Take risks and learn The skinny on risk taking is known by all organizations that are consistently successful. Making mistakes in the early stages of implementation are normal, and must be treated non-judgmentally as opportunities to learn. Risks leave the status quo 9. Its okay to be assertive Many of the potentially best leaders in these democratic times are often reticent to be assertive Image: Being First Mon, 15 Mar 2010 18:03:38 GMT http://edge.ascd.org/_Change-Leadership-9-Insights/blog/2156717/127586.html Jason_Flom 2010-03-15T18:03:38Z ASCD EDge In Michael Fullan's session, "Leadership for All" at the ASCD Annual conference in San Antonio, he looks closely at what practices lead to effective leadership in change. The main chunk of his talk looked at what he called, "Ready-Fire-Aim" dealing with 9 insights of  leadership. 1. Relationships first (too fast/too slow): The art of change is hitting that sweet spot -- don't come in so fast that you put people off, nor so slow that you get absorbed by culture. Careful entry to new setting Listening to and learning from those who have been there longer Engaging in fact finding and joint problem solving Carefully (rather than rashly) diagnosing the situation 2. Honor the implementation dip After change is introduced the costs are immediate and palpable, performance dips. "Don't expect many compliments." Perceived performance gap between the myth of where you could be and actual performance 3. Beware of fat plans The size and the prettiness of the plan is inversely related to the quality of action and the impact on student learning. 4. Behaviors before beliefs Most of us change our behaviors somewhat before we get insights into new beliefs. The implication for approaching new change is clear. Do not load up on vision, evidence, and sense of urgency.  Rather, give people new experiences in relatively non-threatehning circumstnaces. 5. Communication during implementation is paramount Communication during implementation is far more important then communication prior to implementation. Communication in the abstract, in the absence of action, means almost nothing. Need lots of two way communication during implementation Leaders need a receive button as well as a send button Think-Pair-Share in meetings: generating ideas & problem solving. 6. Learn about implementation during implementation One of the most powerful strategies is to find different ways for implementers to learn from other implementers, especially those in similar circumstances who are further down the line. 7. Excitement prior to implementation is fragile Excitement in advance of doing something is understandable, but it does not have much of a foundation.  Indeed, the fall in the implementation dip will be even greater if high aspiration precede it (Over) Excitement can isolate leaders Must be grounded excitement 8. Take risks and learn The skinny on risk taking is known by all organizations that are consistently successful. Making mistakes in the early stages of implementation are normal, and must be treated non-judgmentally as opportunities to learn. Risks leave the status quo 9. Its okay to be assertive Many of the potentially best leaders in these democratic times are often reticent to be assertive Image: Being First change, leadership nonadult false Change Leadership: 9 Insights text blog change,leadership 903 10 4.0 http://edge.ascd.org/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=20433736&as=127586 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/127586/photos/PHOTO_7766452_127586_20433736_ap_160X120.jpg false United States FL Tallahassee 0 1 2156717 20433736 ASCD EDge Member 414 http://edge.ascd.org/_The-Pulitzer-Center-Relevant-Learning-Authentic-Engagement/blog/1824917/127586.html   [image] (This post was originally published at Ecology of Education) Where do you point your students for news? Fox? NBC? NPR? NY Times? CNN?   When you want something a bit different, something less corporate, where do you look? Media Matters? The Daily Show? Indy Media? Rush? Huffington? Crooks and Liars? What if you want ground-breaking, objective, mixed media journalism with a global perspective, that creates connections and collaborations between professional journalists and students, and embodies the integrity of one of the most respected awards in writing? Uh . . . Um . . . Enter, The Pulitzer Center and the student-friendly Pulitzer Gateway, stage right, providing students (of all ages) with access to stories out of the mainstream, but apposite to challenges both home and abroad. This is no small feat. Consider that in today's media there is often a compartmentalization between the subject, the writer, and the reader (at times even by design). Unfortunately, as a result, stories about Darfur, China, or polar bears, come across as distant, abstract, and personally irrelevant to students. Without personal connections to the material there is little for them to engage with, intellectually or emotionally. Claude Levi-Strauss, the legendary French Anthropologist, studied primitive cultures around the world through the lens of structuralism, seeking to find universal patterns of thought. His overall contribution to the collective knowledge of the world is not just that he chronicled indigenous peoples, but that he made that knowledge relevant and connectible to the everyman by examining approaches to shared needs (even if his rendering of such knowledge was far too abstract for the casual reader). He's remembered now as the father of modern anthropology because of how he looked at food gathering/preparations, rituals, and dwellings -- basic needs we can all relate to. This is precisely what makes the Pulitzer Gateway project so vital and exciting. Not only do the stories (portals) engage readers through multiple formats (videos, interactive maps, photos, stories, etc), they also invite the readers to become ancillary elements of the larger narrative. (Two examples from the Water War Portal: here and here). As students investigate the topics, they find structural commonalities that give them reason to care, to learn, to contribute, and perhaps, ultimately, to inform others as participatory citizens. And, unlike Levi-Strauss, the reporting can actually be consumed by us lay-folks. The importance of such intentional activism cannot be overstated. We need students to draw contrasts and conclusions between the lives they lead in the developed western world with the plight of the underserved, underprivileged, and the underrepresented. In order to help make this connection even more pertinent and real, The Pulitzer Center has established a tier of programs that put students in contact with the journalists working in the far flung fields. Through question and answers on the website, skyping, and even school visits, students find that the reporting behind the story is done by real people who are driven to make the world a better and more just place. The Pulitzer Gateway stands on the front edge of potentially a new breed of sustainable media, ensuring that students not only have access to content rich information, but that they also have an authentic relationship with it, a relationship that develops an ethic of global understanding. Given the ever expanding gap between the haves and the have not's, this should be at the forefront of our efforts in our classrooms to teach beyond the high stakes tests. However, as they say, there is no such thing as a free lunch. Sending journalists on reporting missions in the field carries a hefty fee by itself. Getting those journalists communicating with students exacts additional resources, and finding ways to put a journalist in a classroom can break a non-profit's bank. For this reason, that aspect of the program is not as robust as some educators might like. To the credit of the directors running the center and the funders providing the backing, in the few years The Pulitzer Center has been in operation, they've engineered substantial and substantive growth, with still more projects on the horizon. (Check out this pdf of the 2008 Annual Report) Such ambitious growth ensure that despite teacher autonomy ranging from nil to complete independence, there is something for everyone here. The Gateway portals can be used as informational and content supplements or as spring boards for in-depth investigations and projects, depending on the interest of the teacher and/or students. To help you get started with this incredible resource check out The Teacher's Corner and Water Wars Gateway User Guide. These should provide you with enough to get around. In my opinion, this was one of the most exciting and potentially game changing finds here at the NCSS Annual Conference. Not only does The Pulitzer Center allow us teachers to provide reliable multi-media content for students to explore, it also gives us an opportunity to harness, involve, and cultivate students' natural inclination toward fairness, justice, and peace for all. For me, I want my students to envision themselves alongside professionals in the field working to make the world a better place. I want them to equate skills related to reading, writing, and arithmetic, with the real world through relevant applications of those skills. I have a feeling that involvement in this type of project will go a long way toward doing that. Now, if I can just get them down to Tallahassee, FL . . .   [image] (This post was originally published at Ecology of Education) Where do you point your students for news? Fox? NBC? NPR? NY Times? CNN?   When you want something a bit different, something less corporate, where do you look? Media Matters? The Daily Show? Indy Media? Rush? Huffington? Crooks and Liars? What if you want ground-breaking, objective, mixed media journalism with a global perspective, that creates connections and collaborations between professional journalists and students, and embodies the integrity of one of the most respected awards in writing? Uh . . . Um . . . Enter, The Pulitzer Center and the student-friendly Pulitzer Gateway, stage right, providing students (of all ages) with access to stories out of the mainstream, but apposite to challenges both home and abroad. This is no small feat. Consider that in today's media there is often a compartmentalization between the subject, the writer, and the reader (at times even by design). Unfortunately, as a result, stories about Darfur, China, or polar bears, come across as distant, abstract, and personally irrelevant to students. Without personal connections to the material there is little for them to engage with, intellectually or emotionally. Claude Levi-Strauss, the legendary French Anthropologist, studied primitive cultures around the world through the lens of structuralism, seeking to find universal patterns of thought. His overall contribution to the collective knowledge of the world is not just that he chronicled indigenous peoples, but that he made that knowledge relevant and connectible to the everyman by examining approaches to shared needs (even if his rendering of such knowledge was far too abstract for the casual reader). He's remembered now as the father of modern anthropology because of how he looked at food gathering/preparations, rituals, and dwellings -- basic needs we can all relate to. This is precisely what makes the Pulitzer Gateway project so vital and exciting. Not only do the stories (portals) engage readers through multiple formats (videos, interactive maps, photos, stories, etc), they also invite the readers to become ancillary elements of the larger narrative. (Two examples from the Water War Portal: here and here). As students investigate the topics, they find structural commonalities that give them reason to care, to learn, to contribute, and perhaps, ultimately, to inform others as participatory citizens. And, unlike Levi-Strauss, the reporting can actually be consumed by us lay-folks. The importance of such intentional activism cannot be overstated. We need students to draw contrasts and conclusions between the lives they lead in the developed western world with the plight of the underserved, underprivileged, and the underrepresented. In order to help make this connection even more pertinent and real, The Pulitzer Center has established a tier of programs that put students in contact with the journalists working in the far flung fields. Through question and answers on the website, skyping, and even school visits, students find that the reporting behind the story is done by real people who are driven to make the world a better and more just place. The Pulitzer Gateway stands on the front edge of potentially a new breed of sustainable media, ensuring that students not only have access to content rich information, but that they also have an authentic relationship with it, a relationship that develops an ethic of global understanding. Given the ever expanding gap between the haves and the have not's, this should be at the forefront of our efforts in our classrooms to teach beyond the high stakes tests. However, as they say, there is no such thing as a free lunch. Sending journalists on reporting missions in the field carries a hefty fee by itself. Getting those journalists communicating with students exacts additional resources, and finding ways to put a journalist in a classroom can break a non-profit's bank. For this reason, that aspect of the program is not as robust as some educators might like. To the credit of the directors running the center and the funders providing the backing, in the few years The Pulitzer Center has been in operation, they've engineered substantial and substantive growth, with still more projects on the horizon. (Check out this pdf of the 2008 Annual Report) Such ambitious growth ensure that despite teacher autonomy ranging from nil to complete independence, there is something for everyone here. The Gateway portals can be used as informational and content supplements or as spring boards for in-depth investigations and projects, depending on the interest of the teacher and/or students. To help you get started with this incredible resource check out The Teacher's Corner and Water Wars Gateway User Guide. These should provide you with enough to get around. In my opinion, this was one of the most exciting and potentially game changing finds here at the NCSS Annual Conference. Not only does The Pulitzer Center allow us teachers to provide reliable multi-media content for students to explore, it also gives us an opportunity to harness, involve, and cultivate students' natural inclination toward fairness, justice, and peace for all. For me, I want my students to envision themselves alongside professionals in the field working to make the world a better place. I want them to equate skills related to reading, writing, and arithmetic, with the real world through relevant applications of those skills. I have a feeling that involvement in this type of project will go a long way toward doing that. Now, if I can just get them down to Tallahassee, FL . . . Tue, 09 Feb 2010 18:49:31 GMT http://edge.ascd.org/_The-Pulitzer-Center-Relevant-Learning-Authentic-Engagement/blog/1824917/127586.html Jason_Flom 2010-02-09T18:49:31Z ASCD EDge   [image] (This post was originally published at Ecology of Education) Where do you point your students for news? Fox? NBC? NPR? NY Times? CNN?   When you want something a bit different, something less corporate, where do you look? Media Matters? The Daily Show? Indy Media? Rush? Huffington? Crooks and Liars? What if you want ground-breaking, objective, mixed media journalism with a global perspective, that creates connections and collaborations between professional journalists and students, and embodies the integrity of one of the most respected awards in writing? Uh . . . Um . . . Enter, The Pulitzer Center and the student-friendly Pulitzer Gateway, stage right, providing students (of all ages) with access to stories out of the mainstream, but apposite to challenges both home and abroad. This is no small feat. Consider that in today's media there is often a compartmentalization between the subject, the writer, and the reader (at times even by design). Unfortunately, as a result, stories about Darfur, China, or polar bears, come across as distant, abstract, and personally irrelevant to students. Without personal connections to the material there is little for them to engage with, intellectually or emotionally. Claude Levi-Strauss, the legendary French Anthropologist, studied primitive cultures around the world through the lens of structuralism, seeking to find universal patterns of thought. His overall contribution to the collective knowledge of the world is not just that he chronicled indigenous peoples, but that he made that knowledge relevant and connectible to the everyman by examining approaches to shared needs (even if his rendering of such knowledge was far too abstract for the casual reader). He's remembered now as the father of modern anthropology because of how he looked at food gathering/preparations, rituals, and dwellings -- basic needs we can all relate to. This is precisely what makes the Pulitzer Gateway project so vital and exciting. Not only do the stories (portals) engage readers through multiple formats (videos, interactive maps, photos, stories, etc), they also invite the readers to become ancillary elements of the larger narrative. (Two examples from the Water War Portal: here and here). As students investigate the topics, they find structural commonalities that give them reason to care, to learn, to contribute, and perhaps, ultimately, to inform others as participatory citizens. And, unlike Levi-Strauss, the reporting can actually be consumed by us lay-folks. The importance of such intentional activism cannot be overstated. We need students to draw contrasts and conclusions between the lives they lead in the developed western world with the plight of the underserved, underprivileged, and the underrepresented. In order to help make this connection even more pertinent and real, The Pulitzer Center has established a tier of programs that put students in contact with the journalists working in the far flung fields. Through question and answers on the website, skyping, and even school visits, students find that the reporting behind the story is done by real people who are driven to make the world a better and more just place. The Pulitzer Gateway stands on the front edge of potentially a new breed of sustainable media, ensuring that students not only have access to content rich information, but that they also have an authentic relationship with it, a relationship that develops an ethic of global understanding. Given the ever expanding gap between the haves and the have not's, this should be at the forefront of our efforts in our classrooms to teach beyond the high stakes tests. However, as they say, there is no such thing as a free lunch. Sending journalists on reporting missions in the field carries a hefty fee by itself. Getting those journalists communicating with students exacts additional resources, and finding ways to put a journalist in a classroom can break a non-profit's bank. For this reason, that aspect of the program is not as robust as some educators might like. To the credit of the directors running the center and the funders providing the backing, in the few years The Pulitzer Center has been in operation, they've engineered substantial and substantive growth, with still more projects on the horizon. (Check out this pdf of the 2008 Annual Report) Such ambitious growth ensure that despite teacher autonomy ranging from nil to complete independence, there is something for everyone here. The Gateway portals can be used as informational and content supplements or as spring boards for in-depth investigations and projects, depending on the interest of the teacher and/or students. To help you get started with this incredible resource check out The Teacher's Corner and Water Wars Gateway User Guide. These should provide you with enough to get around. In my opinion, this was one of the most exciting and potentially game changing finds here at the NCSS Annual Conference. Not only does The Pulitzer Center allow us teachers to provide reliable multi-media content for students to explore, it also gives us an opportunity to harness, involve, and cultivate students' natural inclination toward fairness, justice, and peace for all. For me, I want my students to envision themselves alongside professionals in the field working to make the world a better place. I want them to equate skills related to reading, writing, and arithmetic, with the real world through relevant applications of those skills. I have a feeling that involvement in this type of project will go a long way toward doing that. Now, if I can just get them down to Tallahassee, FL . . . center, connections, global, learning, media, pulitzer nonadult false The Pulitzer Center -- Relevant Learning, Authentic Engagement text blog center,connections,global,learning,media,pulitzer 549 0 0.0 http://edge.ascd.org/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=20433736&as=127586 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/127586/photos/PHOTO_7766452_127586_20433736_ap_160X120.jpg false United States FL Tallahassee 0 0 1824917 20433736 ASCD EDge Member 414