98 Search Results for "expertise"

• Complexity: Sociocultural Capi Complexity: Sociocultural Capital

  • From: Kevin_Goddard
  • Description:

    Attention to sociocultural capital in High-Performing High-Poverty Schools (HP2S) helps teachers understand where marginalized students are coming from. Teachers who share a sociocultural identity with students in the school may increase achievement in marginalized students (Chu Clewell & Campbell, 2007). Regardless of the focus on AYP in reading and math, ultimately, education is “the process of cultural transmission” (Rury, 2005, p. 10). The cultural resources imparted to students become capital “when they function as a ‘social relation of power’ by becoming objects of struggle as valued resources” (Swartz, 1997, p. 43). Cultural capital has a positive effect on all educational outcomes (Dumais, 2005). Acting as a resource for social power is why sociocultural capital is hoarded from marginalized groups by the dominant class. The power connected to cultural capital is a valuable resource “intersect[ing] with all aspects of cultural life” (p. 286). Bourdieu’s studies into capital have led him to believe that schools act as the main gatekeepers to capital giving the dominant class access to status, privilege, and symbolic power. “Schools offer the primary institutional setting for the production, transmission, and accumulation of various forms of cultural capital” (Swartz, 1997, p. 189) making restriction to capital through education a likely abuse by the privileged who already control education policy and practice (Nesbit, 2006). Even some reformers intent on social justice follow the dominant class way of thinking, valuing the expertise of professionals and managers over the working class, which presumes that “knowledge deficits” in the working class may be overcome through greater effort to move closer to dominant ideology (Livingstone & Sawchuk, 2005).

    A long-term view of student success by educators recognizes that students are not blank slates waiting to be filled, but “are the products of many years of complex interactions with their family of origin and cultural, social, political, and educational environments” (Kuh et al., 2007, p. 5). The combined SES of students in the school along with differences in sociocultural capital is an important factor in student performance. The resulting push for accountability has narrowed education’s view of what schools should be doing down to reading, math, and science (Henig et al., 1999; Kuh et al., 2007; Rury, 2005).

    Schools are middle class institutions where teachers have high levels of middle class sociocultural capital and reward students who have it, but may consciously or subconsciously discriminate against students who do not. When teacher and student capital is congruent, the performance of marginalized students is more likely to benefit. Popular society and specialists transmit values about the best way to raise children which is generally followed by middle class society aligning them with the beliefs of educational institutions. Working class parents are slower to change child-rearing practices to dominant practice keeping them out of sync with the school’s perception of the ideal home environment influencing teacher perception of the child and the child’s home life (Dumais, 2005; Lareau, 2003; Nesbit, 2006; Chu Clewell & Campbell, 2007).

    The test scores of marginalized students would currently be lower if schools had not already been making progress at reducing the disadvantages of family educational background and SES previous to the passage of NCLB (Henig et al., 1999). Educational leaders, principals in particular, use an understanding of “cultural, social, and the promise of economic capital” to bring competing groups and individuals together to find common goals and shift marginalized interests to the center by “mutual choice” (Watkins & Tisdell, 2006, p. 156). Schools tap into a sense of agency in communities to bring about mutual choice to move toward federal goals, otherwise mandates like NCLB will ultimately get nowhere (Cohen & Ball, 1999, p. 23). Different forms of capital, but sociocultural capital in particular, can operate as lenses principals use to view particular educational contexts. A lens of the middle-class, white norm limits a school’s responsiveness to cultural capital possessed by students (Machtinger, 2007; Swartz, 1997).

    Learning capacity is equivalent to intellectual capital (Livingstone & Sawchuk, 2005). All forms of capital are resources “that can be drawn on for social advancement” (Rury, 2005, p. 13). Bourdieu, one of the world experts on capital, believes there are four basic types of capital: economic, cultural, social, and symbolic with economic capital being the most important form in the United States followed by cultural (Swartz, 1997). While school cannot provide students with economic capital, schools can help students develop the other types of capital. Incongruence between the amount and type of capital students possess and the forms of capital valued in the school community can cause problems for the student (Kennedy et al., 2006).

    Cultural capital has been defined in numerous ways. Church (2005) quotes Nieto’s definition of culture as

    the ever-changing values, traditions, social and political relationships, and worldview created, shared, and transformed by a group of people bound together by a combination of factors that include a common history, geographic location, language, social class, and religion…Culture is dynamic; multi-faceted; embedded in context, influenced by social, economic, and political factors; created and socially constructed; learned; and dialectical (p. 48).

    Or in other words: highly complex. Cultural capital comes in an objectified form such as works of art, an embodied form based in an appreciation and understanding of objectified cultural capital, and institutionalized form found in educational credits and degrees. Cultural capital is a resource used to gain or maintain power and privilege. Based on the assumption that certain attitudes, behaviors, and values are more admired and rewarded in society than others, dominant forms of cultural capital give students who possess them an advantage over marginalized students (Dumais, 2005; Rury, 2005).

    Cultural capital, within the school setting, is the embodiment of the previous experience and learning of a community of people and influences how students accumulate, exchange, and utilize resources they gain from the school. Culture can be verbal facility, general cultural awareness, aesthetic preferences, scientific knowledge, and educational credentials and becomes a power source. Objectified cultural capital such as books, art, scientific instruments, and other tools require cultural abilities to use which can impact student engagement and parent involvement (Cohen & Ball, 1999; Stacey, 1996; Swartz, 1997). Parent access to the educational setting is also mediated by their personal experiences with school and other education-related institutions. In theU.S., where the dominant culture is not as strong as in other countries, cultural capital benefits both students from privileged backgrounds and all students who possess it allowing for “cultural mobility”. As cultural capital is distributed unevenly by society, schools make important decisions based on capital they have or capital they are trying to get which can be attributed to school failure as opposed to the limitations of individuals (Dumais, 2005; Lee & Bowen, 2006; Nasir & Hand, 2006; Schaughency & Ervin, 2006).

    Coleman expands cultural and human capital theories into social capital which is a “community-based support-system network” that is context specific and has the two common elements of social structures and facilitation of individual and group actions within those structures. Social capital is a network of individual human capital. This view seems too limiting to the richness of cultural capital as described by Bourdieu (Musial, 1999). Social capital is the benefit derived from social networks and organizations including relationships within family and community that generates trust and schema to increase the capacity for collaboration (Dumais, 2005; Farmer-Hinton & Adams, 2006; Lee & Bowen, 2006; Rury, 2005; Zacharakis & Flora, 2005).  Agents in the form of individuals and class will “struggle for social distinction” in a form of self-organization (Swartz, 1997). In this light, capital seems destined to be reproduced as “the quality of education children receive is directly related in part to the ability of parents to generate social capital” (Noguera, 2004, p. 2155).

    Obviously, the forms of cultural, social, human, and economic capital are often interrelated. Cultural capital intersects with social capital to give agents more influence. This intersection means agency cannot be separated from the social and cultural contexts within the global environment in which it occurs. While social capital can be a means to a desirable end, the dominant class will most often prevail as they possess more capital (Lattuca, 2002; Lee & Bowen, 2006; Watkins & Tisdell, 2006).

    More simply, “culture can be thought of as a set of behavioral characteristics or traits that are typical of a social group” (Rury, 2005, p. 9). The social setting is an organization of networks between social positions where dominant and marginalized groups compete for control of resources. Capital is specific to setting and does not exist without it. The education system reproduces social inequity where the possession of cultural capital leads to academic success. The most valuable form of capital in school is cultural capital congruent with capital valued within that particular school’s social setting (Dumais, 2005).

    Whereas the social-constructivist perspective makes a distinction between the individual cognitive activities and the environment in which the individual is present, the socio-cultural perspective regards the individual as being part of that environment. Accordingly, learning cannot be understood as a process that is solely in the mind of the learner…Knowledge, according to this perspective, is constructed in settings of joint activity…Learning is a process of participating in cultural practices, a process that structures and shapes cognitive activity (De Laat & Lally, 2003, p. 14).

    Nasir and Hand (2006) explain this complex interaction of social and cultural capital within specific environments as proof that educators need to attend to fostering agency in students’ focus on local problems. The number of students bringing middle class capital with them to school is decreasing and the number of students bringing sociocultural capital from the lower classes is increasing. “As in any demographic switch, the prevailing rules and policies eventually give way to the group with the largest numbers” (Payne, 2001, p. 79).

    Engrained dispositions from previous experience can sub- or un-consciously limit student success. Called “habitus”, these dispositions provide the opportunity to mitigate cultural predispositions by structuring school situations and interactions with positive models and diversity-oriented experiences (Kuh et al., 2007). However, the concept of habitus does not account for the complexity and variety of hopes and dreams of different groups. Humanity is too varied and complex to be perfectly categorized into any model, but habitus does give a vocabulary to talk about how dominant and marginalized groups may be socialized starting at a young age. “Habitus…privileges the basic idea that action is governed by a ‘practical sense’ of how to move in the social world. Culture is a practical tool used for getting along in the social world” (Swartz, 1997, p. 115). Habitus is a collection of cultural habits.

    Field is the social setting organized around types and combinations of capital which habitus operates. Schools act as a field for the competitive investment, exchange, and accumulation of various forms of capital (Swartz, 1997). Struggling within a local environment, schools should reflect the shifting community field. “Education clearly affects the course of social development, and schools reflect the influence of their immediate social context” (Rury, 2005, p. 1).

    Schools are viewed as vehicles for individual social and economic mobility. The education field itself provides mobility of cultural capital for low SES/marginalized groups and is often one of few examples children and community members have of mobility and opportunity. This perception itself may create the reproduction of limited mobility in marginalized groups. In truth, some schools value cultural knowledge while others are more forgiving (Dumais, 2005; Henig et al., 1999; Johnson et al., 2000).

    Empowerment of marginalized communities is collective, not individual. In order to realize change in the face of limited resources, communities rely on social capital for strength and agency. For school communities, this means that improved engagement can have profound consequences in improving achievement, agency, and equality (Schutz, 2006). Communalism helps build and accrue capital, generates “positive emotional energy”, and “may enhance motivation and engagement” (Seiler & Elmesky, 2007, p. 393). The social capital web is comprised of household, neighborhood, and school (Musial, 1999). But “working class peoples’ indigenous learning capacities…have been denied, suppressed, degraded or diverted within most capitalist schooling” (Livingstone & Sawchuk, 2005, p. 111). Overcoming cultural and historical differences “concerns activity and access to tools and mediated learning” (Portes, 2005, p. 176). Literacy, numeracy, and student well-being are practiced fluidly and dynamically across boundaries in social contexts. These pathways between family and community “need to be understood in out-of-home learning communities so that pedagogies, including assessment practices and the pedagogy of relationships can address the complexities related to children’s different life chances and ways of learning” (Kennedy et al., 2006, p. 16).

    “Biological models of deficiency [such as the Bell curve have been] replaced by cultural deficit models” (Nasir & Hand, 2006, p. 451). Private and charter schools can stick to a particular ideology that does not have to concern itself with discipline, ideology, and related social problems. These schools are successful because the students who attend them possess congruent sociocultural capital. The success of private and parochial schools suggests these schools acting as self-organizing units self-organize around the sociocultural capital available within and surround them as opposed to the capital they possess being superior (Bower, 2006; Portes, 2005; Walk, 1998). Capacity becomes a non-issue in middle class schools because the ingredients for success already reside in the boundaries and pathways established within the school community.

  • Blog post
  • 1 month ago
  • Views: 234

• Every Teacher a Teacher of Rea Every Teacher a Teacher of Reading: How Teacher Preparation Programs Can Help Teachers to Meet the Common Core Standards

  • From: Amy_Vanden_Boogart
  • Description:

    This post is a part of the ASCD Forum conversation “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 on ASCD EDge.

     

    We have all heard the adage, “Every teacher a teacher of reading.” Some educators find this notion controversial because our education system is not set up to allow every teacher to be a teacher of reading. Departmentalization is the norm in middle and high schools, and even in a good number of elementary schools. One teacher teaches language arts, while others teach math, science, or social studies. Some content area teachers are understandably frightened at the thought of having to teach reading. For teachers whose expertise is in math or social studies, the idea of having to teach reading might be unpalatable. But we have entered the era of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), and the standards have brought the notion of “every teacher a teacher of reading” back full force. In addition, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) 2011 reading scores tell us that a large percentage of our students really do need help to read proficiently. Only 34% of fourth graders read at or above a proficient level, and a third of fourth graders read below the basic level for their grade [National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), 2011]. The story only gets a little better for eighth graders; 34% read at or above a proficient level, and 24% read below basic (NCES, 2011). All educators must therefore band together and embrace the challenge of helping their students become proficient readers, and teacher preparation programs play a huge role in this challenge.

      

    The CCSS writers themselves seem to support the notion of “every teacher a teacher of reading.” The introduction to the CCSS for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects states,

     

    “The Standards insist that instruction in reading, writing, speaking, listening,
and language be a shared responsibility within the school. The K–5 standards include expectations for reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language applicable to a range of subjects, including but not limited to ELA. The grades 6–12 standards are divided into two sections, one for ELA and the other for history/social studies, science, and technical subjects. This division reflects the unique, time-honored place of ELA teachers in developing students’ literacy skills while at the same time recognizing that teachers in other areas must have a role in this development as well” (p. 4).

     

    And in the section that discusses what is not covered by the standards, the CCSS writers continue,

     

    “The Standards define literacy expectations in history/social studies, science, and technical subjects, but literacy standards in other areas, such as mathematics and health education, modeled on those in this document are strongly encouraged to facilitate a comprehensive, schoolwide literacy program” (p. 6).

     

    The interdisciplinary approach to literacy taken by the CCSS poses a challenge to teacher preparation programs nationwide. How can teacher educators prepare teachers who will be effective not only in their areas of disciplinary expertise, but also in enabling their students to access the varied and complex texts that they encounter throughout the grades? I believe that a three-pronged approach will help teacher preparation programs foster and sustain the effectiveness of all teachers as teachers of reading.

     

    First, there should be increased preparation for elementary teachers in how to teach reading. In my Master’s program in elementary education, through which I attained my licensure for teaching grades Pre-K through 6, I had only one course specifically focused on reading, and a lot of our time and assignments in this course were focused on children’s literature. This was great because using children’s literature appropriately and effectively is certainly one very important aspect of teaching reading. But with the increasing focus on informational text in the CCSS and with the multitude of skills that underlie proficient reading, it takes much more than one course on reading to help elementary teachers learn all that they need to know and be able to do to teach reading. My Master’s program also included coursework on teaching language arts, but a lot of this was focused on writing instruction and development. This was also incredibly important and valuable content, but there still seemed to be a lot of content on teaching reading that there simply wasn’t enough time to cover. Preparation in the teaching of reading for elementary teachers must be much more extensive. It must cover the five big areas of reading [phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, 2000)] thoroughly and with lots of opportunity for application in working with students.

     

    Second, all teachers need to know and understand the five big areas of reading. A high school math teacher would then be able to discuss with other professionals in her school what to do about a student who might be reading very choppily from his math textbook, using the term fluency. A high school biology teacher with a student who could not read the complex, multi-syllable words in his textbook would understand that there might be a phonics-based or morphological weakness underlying the student’s difficulty reading, and could seek assistance from the school’s reading specialist on ways to support this student. Having some working knowledge of the different areas of reading with which students struggle would empower content area teachers. Many secondary education programs do include one course on reading and writing across the curriculum, but this type of coursework should be more comprehensive and inclusive of the five big areas of reading. (No one ever talks about phonemic awareness or phonics and very rarely do they discuss fluency with middle or high school teachers!) Teacher preparation programs should also require all teachers to complete case studies where they practice implementing literacy strategies within their content areas with students so that they are prepared to incorporate literacy instruction into their teaching in ways consistent with the CCSS.

      

    Finally, content area methods classes in teacher preparation programs should emphasize the specific disciplinary challenges inherent in that content area. For instance, a few years ago I worked on a content analysis study of middle school history textbooks. We tried to identify the specific features inherent in historical writing that might prove challenging for students. Our work revealed that text structures such as cause and effect and chronology, and linguistic features such as unclear referential devices are some of the most common in history texts. These are the features of historical texts that history teachers should be prepared to emphasize with their students, providing them with strategies for tackling these linguistic and structural challenges. The texts of each discipline have their own unique challenges, and when teachers are familiar with these challenges, they can help their students overcome them more easily.

     

    The CCSS have set a high bar with the expectation that all teachers must be teachers of reading. It is now up to teacher preparation programs to prepare all teachers to take on this role.

     

     

    References

     

    National Center for Education Statistics (2011). The Nation's Report Card: Reading 2011 (NCES 2012–457). Retrieved from   http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/pdf/main2011/2012457.pdf

     

    National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. (2000). Report of the National Reading Panel: Teaching children to read: An evidence-based assessment of the scientific research literature on reading and its implications for reading instruction: Reports of the subgroups (NIH Publication No. 00-4754). Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.

  • Blog post
  • 2 months ago
  • Views: 1127

• Custom eLearning/mLearning Con Custom eLearning/mLearning Content Solutions Consultant

  • From: Cathy_Faucher
  • Description:

    NetDimensionsApplications Development Group assists organizations in the
    achievement of goals with effective custom learning solutions and
    applications. We begin by understanding the learning requirements for
    successful goal achievement. Learning requirements might entail
    compliance, product knowledge, software, leadership or
    other performance related training. We then build custom courses,
    applications and tools to support and satisfy those requirements. We are
    capable of scaling to any size project, from building complete end to end
    solutions, to providing specific skills to assist in the completion of an
    existing project, lesson or course. We've built long term relationships with
    organizations of all sizes and they rely on us for innovative and solid
    solutions.
    
    
    * We've assisted organizations like yours to satisfy a broad range of
    learning requirements from planning, defining requirements to align with
    goals, design, professional development and deployment
    * We are tool agnostic and will build with selected tools already in
    place with your organization or make recommendations for tools following a
    detailed requirements analysis
    * We develop across any platform - PC, iOS, Android - using the most
    current technology
    * We work with your internal team of educators to augment their efforts - from
    specific skills and resources lent to a project, to advising on best
    practices and mentoring, to take a project from start to finish
    * We have a proven approach and methodology to deliver high quality,
    efficient results to accommodate any budget
    * Our team has been together for more than 6 years, with our team leads
    with up to 13 years of working together.
    * We are more than content developers - we can bring sophistication and
    technical expertise to problem solving with instructional design, creative
    design, programming skills and software engineering - to meet most any
    challenge
    
    Backed by a global company focused on learning and workforce performance
    requirements, our group can work with any size organization and across many
    cultures, languages and countries.
    
    

  • 2 months ago
  • Views: 125
  • Not yet rated

• So It Is Written... So It Is Written...

  • From: Tom_Whitby
  • Description:

    I have traveled the world going to Education conferences. All have good points and bad points. All of these conferences have come from the sweat, tears and blood of many volunteers. They are all well-intentioned and I believe in their necessity in our system for Professional Development. The point I feel we must fight for however is the need for relevance in the world in which we teach. This is the same thing we should strive for in all of education. Many of the goals we strive for to support our students should also be the same goals to address our needs to educate our educators.

    After a marathon attendance at a number of education conferences this year I have stored up many observations on the approach these conferences use to engage educators in their profession. Since I began attending them over 35 years ago I do have some historical perspective. More often than not my experience on the planning of the “Education Conference” is: So it is written, so it shall be done! Many reshuffle the deck and deal out the same old hands. If we always plan conferences on what worked last year, progress will never catch up to relevance.

    In our technology-driven society we have come to recognize that our students are learning differently. I would suggest that our educators are learning differently as well. That difference needs to be addressed by the conferences that help educate our educators. The reasons we as educators are reflecting and changing our methods of education to meet the needs of our students are the very reasons education conferences need to change to meet the needs of our changing educators. Resistance that we too often provide does not prevent the fact that there comes a time when we just must reinvent the wheel.

    If all educators need to do, in order to keep up with modern education, is to listen to lectures, they can do that cheaper and more conveniently with webinars and podcasts over the Internet. What do conferences provide beyond the lecture? If the answer is face to face networking, then provide the spaces and times to do that. Select venues with ample lounging spaces or build them into the venue. Sessions must be planned with time between sessions for educators to connect and network. Schedule, encourage, or incent presenters, and featured speakers to circulate in these spaces.

    Reflection rooms might be a unique addition. Spaces where speakers, presenters, and attendees could gather for reflection and discussion. This would be the best place for educators to connect face to face as well as digitally through social media to continue discussions online, beyond the conference and through the year. Those creative juices that flow during the conference will continue throughout the year. Current models get people thinking during the conference and in many cases the juices will not flow again until the next conference.

    Planning the sessions is key to success in any Edu conference. If, as educators, we know that lecture is not the best way to learn, why would we encourage it in sessions? Interactive sessions, as well as discussions, and even interactive panel sessions are the very things that excite, engage, and educate educators. These should be encouraged and highlighted. The method of delivery should always be a prime consideration in addition to being clearly stated on the session description.

    The selection of speakers and sessions needs to be examined. Connected educators are often on the cutting edge discussing education topics as much as a year before it hits Faculty meeting and lounges. If the committees made up to judge and select RFP for sessions than those educators need to be relevant as well. Again, a topic that was popular last year may not be as relevant this year. What upset me was that some of this year’s presenters were filling out and submitting RFP’s for next year’s conference. Maybe we should have staggered RFP deadlines with a quota for each date. Planners could then observe trends and avoid replication over a period of time. It also offers the opportunity to analyze the needs and send out requests for specific RFP’s.

    Of course the biggest change in PD for educators in years has been the EDCAMP model of conference. Sessions are planned on the fly based on interest and expertise with the assembled group. These sessions are dynamic discussions, which dive into the depths of the selected topic. Every conference should set aside time for the EDCAMP model. Four hours should do it. Planning it for the middle of the conference will enable educators to get a handle on the topics they would need to delve deeply into.

    Today’s technology has enabled educators to connect and collaborate globally. Only a few conferences have understood how to harness the power of the tweet. In order to show a conference to the world, the attendees, when moved by engagement will tweet out all that is needed. This draws into the conferences many who are not physically in attendance.

    Every conference should have a connected educator space. Many Bloggers have claimed the Blogger’s Lounge as their space and have continued with great connections with other bloggers. We need that for all educators. The connected educator space must be present at every conference.

    My final concern is in the Registration fees. Conferences are expensive to run. There is no option on charging money for attendance. The structure however may be flexible with several options. Consideration should be given to discounting for teams of teachers coming from the same district. Maybe we should have a discount for first-time attendees.

  • Blog post
  • 2 months ago
  • Views: 163

• Teacher Autonomy: Where is it Teacher Autonomy: Where is it on the Common Core Landscape?

  • From: Patrice_DiMare-Bucci
  • Description:

     March 2013

           Emerging teacher evaluation systems, federal and state education reforms, and the Common Core Standards initiative make for the perfect storm that has the potential to stifle teacher autonomy.  While these efforts to improve teaching and learning are laudable, many in the field are sounding caution.

     

           Historically, Ed reform has moved at a glacial pace. The research to practice timeline was often slow and hampered by the bureaucracy of mammoth government run departments of education. Technology has changed all that. Information delivery systems are more efficient, and accessible on demand. We now have Ed reform on steroids. Fueled by educational think tanks, political agendas, and the burgeoning edupreneurs, these stakeholders are positioning themselves to ride the wave of educational reform...right to the bank or to political office.

     

           So what does this mean for teachers and students? On the surface, teachers welcome change that enhances the societal view of their much-aligned profession.  Students on the other hand, well they continue to be unwitting participants in the continuing social experiment we call public education.

     

           For too many years, budgets have constrained reform efforts, particularly unfunded mandates like NCLB.  Current reform efforts have learned from those mistakes, and now districts have the promise of federal money in return for adherence to accountability measures. The government gives you money, and in return districts sign on to their "recommended" standards, materials, and accountability measures (Race To The Top). Education reform is a thriving business.

     

           So again, what does this mean for those of us working day to day with twenty-five pairs of eyes in front of us?   We want our profession to have supports, to be respected, so we sign on. But what are we signing on to? District leaders and union leaders guide us. But again, I ask, what are we really signing on to?

     

           As many of us work on drilling down the common core standards, crafting curriculum maps, examining essential questions, piloting common core aligned reading programs and spending hours on understanding new teacher accountability measures, the fog of initiative fatigue is lifting. The landscape is coming into focus. What is it we are seeing on the horizon? Is it managed instruction "guided" by well meaning common core standards? And where does teacher autonomy fit into this picture?  

     

           As we move through the current educational reform movements, it's important for us to understand the difference between being guided and being managed.  We need to preserve our autonomy while we follow "guidelines". We need to hone our craft through professional development and personal learning networks. We need to continue to practice intentional, responsive teaching. We need to resist scripted programs that match students to texts based on lexile levels and grade leveled reading lists. Instead, we need to further develop our expertise and fully understand how to engage our students by knowing our curriculum, knowing our students and knowing ourselves.

     

           The fog is lifting; the landscape is coming into focus. The light of new knowledge is sparking awareness, curiosity and some caution across this landscape.  Teachers are inquiring and wondering, is the demise of teacher autonomy an unintended consequence of well-intentioned managed instruction? We need a sharper focus on what’s happening as we make our way toward implementing the Common Core.

    
    

     

  • Blog post
  • 2 months ago
  • Views: 238

• Guided Reading and the Common Guided Reading and the Common Core

  • From: Patrice_DiMare-Bucci
  • Description:

    Guided reading is a cornerstone practice in a classroom that aims to deliver balanced literacy instruction. This small group instructional practice enables teachers to observe student reading behaviors: how the reader engages with text and how the reader processes text. Often, guided reading involves a lesson framework that includes selecting text, providing a supportive book introduction, whisper reading the text, discussing and responding to the text. Teachers select a text that aligns with the students instructional reading level.

    In recent years, guided reading instruction has grown increasingly dependent on the use of leveled text. Book rooms have been filled with a range of text levels that teachers, students and even parents have come to use to classify a students reading ability. Somewhere along the way we have substituted our quality instructional compass that guides intentional responsive decision making, for reading levels and text gradients. Too often teachers administer a DRA assessment, determine a text level, find a corresponding text in the book room, and voila! Guided reading!

    Enter the common core. Enter text complexity.

    Teachers are now being asked to do guided reading a little differently. Skip the supportive book introduction, increase exposure to increasingly complex texts, and foster accountable talk through the use of text dependent questions.

    This change has prompted a host of reactions across educational blogs (Shanahan on Literacy), in many professional journals ( The Reading Teacher), and countless lunchrooms.

    But this sea change is less about guided reading and text levels and more about the importance of teacher knowledge and teacher expertise when it comes to instructional decision making.

    Guided reading in the age of the Common Core continues to require small group instruction, ongoing assessment, use of text gradients, fluency probes, and an understanding of the reading process. None of that has changed. What has changed is the emphasis on text complexity and the need for all students to have equal access to grade level text and opportunity to engage with texts beyond their instructional level. Research has demonstrated that students who have had a steady diet of leveled text have limited opportunities to develop their academic vocabulary, and limited opportunity to develop background knowledge and hierarchical knowledge necessary to advance content literacy.

    This shift requires that teachers hone their responsive teaching skills. It requires that we become experts in grouping our students, analyzing our assessments, and knowing our students reading behaviors and how they operate on text. That involves knowing lot more than a level. It involves teachers knowing the reader AND knowing the demands of the text we provide for our readers.

    We need to become experts in intentional, responsive teaching. Intentional teaching means having an instructional focus for our guided reading lesson. It means teaching for strategy or skill use when reading connected text. It means intentionally teaching our students HOW to do a close reading. Responsive teaching means we have to have a repertoire of teaching moves that respond to reading behaviors our students demonstrate so that through our instructional language,we can help the reader problem solve on the run.

    As we move toward understanding the role of text complexity in guided reading, we need to understand so much more than lexile levels and text gradients. We need to understand the readers we have in front of us, and the demands of the texts we choose for our guided reading lesson. And that means we have to engage in intentional, responsive teaching built on careful text selection. And that means knowing so much more than a lexile level!

  • Blog post
  • 3 months ago
  • Views: 1087

• Teaching Reading Means Teachin Teaching Reading Means Teaching Students to LOVE Reading

  • From: Ryan_Thomas1
  • Description:

    Few of us doubt the importance of teaching reading. Parents want their children to read and teachers have resorted to practically begging their students to read. But how do we make it happen? Here’s what we think:
    
    

    Most of us excel at something when we truly love it. Raw talent, natural inclination and drive helps, but passion is an inextricable part of success. What if we applied this principal to teaching reading? What if we made it our goal not only to teach our students to read, but also taught them to love it? This may be a challenge, but here are 5 simple tips to get you started!
    
    

    Teaching Reading Means Teaching Students to LOVE Reading
    
    

    • There’s no such thing as “real” reading

    It’s funny how many of our students claim—and vehemently so—that they don’t like reading despite the fact that they read all the time. Try something: Ask your students if they text. Ask them if they update their Facebook account or read and write comments on their friends’ wall. Do they send email? Do they read magazines, comic books or celebrity gossip blogs? We bet they do.
    
    

    Like it or not, if we want to nurture a love of reading in our students, we must acknowledge that these are legitimate forms of reading. Believe and reinforce this.
    
    

    • Ask them what they are interested in and help them find books that meet those interests

    Remember, if you’re going to teach reading, you’re going to have to teach students to LOVE reading. After you legitimize all forms of reading, ask your students what interests them. Have them write it all down so you can help them research later. Do they like sports, history, exotic food? Maybe they are interested in woodworking or circuit bending electronics. Literally, there’s a book out there for everything; students may just need your expertise to help track it down. 
    
    

    A 2008 survey conducted by Scholastic and Yankelovich revealed that 55 percent of the students surveyed agreed that there aren’t enough good books out there that target their age demographic. Of course this isn’t true. What is true, however, is that students most likely need your help finding the “good books.”
    
    

    • Texts don’t have to be long for them to be deep

    One of the most exhilarating things about teaching reading and discussing texts is that they can be viewed through a variety of lenses. Remember Roland Barthe’s argument? “The author is dead. Who cares what he meant to say? Who cares about his biography?” Barthe’s argument will be a hit with your students who are tired of having their interpretations of a text belittled.
    
    

    You may not fully subscribe to Barthe’s suggestions, but you can still push them to come to their own conclusions. When you teach reading, don’t impose limitations on books. Teach them to read critically. Teach them to read selfishly. Encourage them to interrogate texts by asking, “So what? Why should I care about this? How does it impact me? How does it impact my world?”
    
    

    This gets to what we really wanted to say: A text doesn’t have to be long to be deep. Take Ezra Pound’s poem, “In a Station of the Metro.” It may be two lines, but it might as well be a novel. Dissect it. Play with it. Put it back together. Rinse and repeat.
    
    

    • Start student blogs

    Due to federal mandates left over from No Child Left Behind, literacy is now required to be a cross curricular activity.  Blogging encourages students to read and write, regardless of the subject matter. Blogs are a great way to meet federal and state mandated literacy requirements while allowing a wide open field in terms of content.
     

    But there’s more: Blogging creates a space where students get to think and express themselves in a different way. For one thing, blogs can be informal, which makes them less intimidating for weak readers and writers. Students may have mental blocks trying to structure an assignment using academic language, but using blogging in the classroom allows them to get the words out there without the fear of criticism and/or failure.
    
    

    • Harness the power of FREE literacy apps

    Students love technology—it’s adults like us who are skeptical of it. Try something new this year! There is no shortage of FREE, touch-based apps that’ll help your students build their vocabulary and have fun while they do it. If you’re interested and not sure where to begin, check out one of our earlier blogs where you’ll find 5 of our favorite vocabulary building apps.
    
    

     

    

  • Blog post
  • 4 months ago
  • Views: 3054

• L2L News: December 2012 L2L News: December 2012

  • From: Meg_Simpson
  • Description:

    ASCD Leader to Leader (L2L) News is a monthly e-mail newsletter for ASCD constituent group leaders that builds capacity to better serve members, provides opportunities to promote and advocate for ASCD’s Whole Child Initiative, and engages groups through sharing and learning about best practices. To submit a news item for the L2L newsletter, send an e-mail to constituentservices@ascd.org.

    Action Items for ASCD Leaders

    • Submit your Ignite Session Proposal by January 9. Embodied in the tagline, “enlighten us, but make it quick,” Ignite presenters have 5 minutes to present on any topic of interest using 20 PowerPoint slides that automatically advance every 15 seconds. (Learn more about Ignite.) The theme of this Ignite session is “Your Whole Child Story.” We have found in general that the best presentations are on topics that personally inspire or motivate the presenter. We’re looking for fun, creative, out-of-the-box ideas, so please keep that in mind when completing your presentation proposal. Please note that the Ignite session proposals are only open to L2L ASCD leaders.
    • Save the date for the 2013 Leader to Leader Conference. The 2013 L2L Conference will take place July 18–20, 2013 at the Hyatt Dulles in Herndon, Va. Stay tuned for more details and information in the spring.
    • Register now for the Leadership Institute for Legislative Advocacy (LILA). This institute is an outstanding opportunity to network with fellow educators, share your expertise with your federal lawmakers on Capitol Hill, and hear from national education leaders about the latest education policy developments.
    • Speak out on sequestration. An education crisis is looming with the potential to disrupt services to 7.5 million U.S. students and threaten 90,000 U.S. educator jobs. Read more and take action on www.ascd.org.
    •  Register now for ASCD’s Annual Conference. ASCD President Debra Hill invites you to the 2013 Annual Conference & Exhibit Show in her hometown of Chicago, Ill., March 16–18.

     

    Why You Should Attend the Leadership Institute for Legislative Advocacy

    ASCD’s Leadership Institute for Legislative Advocacy (LILA), one of the association’s most unique experiences for educators, provides participants with the opportunity to learn from some of the nation’s leading education thinkers and policymakers in a much more personal setting than the usual conference. Register for LILA now to take advantage of the conference’s hands-on format so that you can gain the skills and knowledge to make a difference.

     

    LILA takes place January 27–29, 2013, in Washington, D.C. Read on for some of the features that set this conference apart.

     

     

    • Up Close and Personal: Ample opportunity to hear from and ask influential speakers like Diane Ravitch and National Teacher of the Year RebeccaMieliwocki about their unfiltered insights on the latest education developments.
    • Inside Scoop: Information from Capitol Hill and U.S. Department of Education influencers, including their firsthand perspectives on current education policy debates and priorities and what those mean for the status of No Child Left Behind and other federal education legislation.
    • Sneak Peek: A first look at ASCD’s 2013 Legislative Agenda, which is developed by educators for educators and drives the organization’s policy priorities for the coming year.
    • Advocate Extraordinaire: Tailored advocacy training and customizable resources to help you advocate for better education policy at the federal, state, and local levels now and throughout the year.
    • Make a Difference: Personal meetings with members of Congress and their education aides where you can share your expertise and discuss the education issues that matter the most to you.

     

     

    Space is limited and the registration deadline is fast approaching! Register for this premier legislative conference today and check out the conference agenda as well as the registration and travel information. Questions? Contact ASCD’s policy team at policy@ascd.org.

     

    New ASCD Policy Points on Sequestration and Education Now Available

    Learn all you need to know about sequestration and its consequences for educators and schools in the latest issue of Policy Points, ASCD’s newest policy publication.

    Sequestration, the 8.2 percent deep, across-the-board cuts to nearly all federal spending, will happen in January 2013 unless Congress acts to stop it. For education programs, this means a loss of more than $4 billion in federal funding. Unless lawmakers act soon, the potential loss of educator jobs, programs, transportation, and key school services could have a devastating effect in every state.

    Policy Points explains how we got to this point, outlines what sequestration means for education, and shares action steps that educators like you can take to help stop sequestration. Take one of these steps today, and urge your federal lawmakers to stop sequestration before time runs out and our nation’s students are forced to pay the price for Congress’s inaction.

    Check out the new Whole Child Tenets document

    The Whole Child Programs Unit within Constituent Services has released a new copy of the whole child tenets document (PDF).  In addition to having an updated design, the new layout allows users to see connections between the indicators that describe a tenet, and their correlating components, which were also identified for the ASCD School Improvement Tool. We hope users will find the new format more user-friendly as you work with schools, districts and states to support a whole child approach to education. We believe it to be the most comprehensive way to help educators in the field understand the real scope of a whole child approach.

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Emerging Leaders Featured inASCD Inservice Blog Series

    In an effort to highlight more educator voices on the ASCD blog, we recently initiated a series of Q&A sessions featuring ASCD Emerging Leaders. Learn more about 2012 Emerging Leader Daina Lieberman and  2011 Emerging Leader Doug Paulson.

     

     

    Florida ASCD Leader Post Featured in ASCD Inserviceand Core Connection

    ASCD asked some of our affiliate leaders to tell us how the implementation of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) has been going in their home states. In the first post of the series,Florida ASCD President and Emerging Leader alum Alina Davis writes about the challenges and successes that Florida has had with CCSS implementation. This post was also featured in the December 5 issue of ASCD’s Common Core e-newsletter, Core Connection.

    
    

     

    Please Welcome Montclair State University to the ASCD Student Chapter Program

    ASCD is pleased to announce that Montclair State University has been accepted into our ASCD Student Chapter Program. The student leaders are enthusiastically planning recruitment events and other activities for the coming semester. To learn more about ASCD Student Chapters, go to www.ascd.org/chapters.

     

     

    Congratulations!

    • New Mexico ASCD Secretary Toni Hull is a 2012 Teaching Ambassador Fellow for the U.S. Department of Education.
    • 2011 Emerging Leader Torian White was recently appointed as interim principal in his school district, and after this school year, the position will become permanent. White is also featured in the Annual Conference video series: listen to his story about an educator who made a difference in his life.
    • 2009 OYEA Winner Bijal Damani was recently selected to become a Google Certified Teacher, and last month she received the DerozioAward for Education and Human Enrichment from the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (ICSE).

    Other News

    • 2012 Emerging Leader Erica Ringelspaugh is currently blogging for Wisconsin ASCD. Check out her blog, “What Erica Knows.”
    • Check out Iowa ASCD’s blog!

     

     

     

    ASCD Leaders on ASCD EDge

    Check out these great posts from ASCD leaders on the ASCD EDgecommunity site. Please read, comment, and share!

    • Solving the “Play” Problem, Disconnected Doesn’t Mean “Not Connected,” 2012 Emerging Leader Fred Ende
    •  Cogito Ergo Sum, Should Students Live Someone Else’s Education?, Comprehensive Planning, Improvise, 2012 Emerging Leader Jason Ellingson
    • We Need More Poetry in Social Studies, Build and Sustain a Successful AP Economics Program, SMART Goal for the Common Core, Tackling the Common Core, 2012 Emerging Leader Robert Zywicki
    • Supporting New Principals (survey link included), Professional Interest Community Facilitator Amelia Hicks
    •  Think Globally, Act Locally, 2012 Emerging Leader Steven Anderson
    • An Introduction to the Concept of Complexity, 2012 Emerging Leader Kevin Goddard 

     

    ASCD Can Help Support Your Common Core Efforts

    Are you interested in having a session presenter or keynote speaker on Common Core implementation at your next event? ASCD has resources and assistance available to state affiliates that will help to inform your members and educators  about implementing the Common Core standards. ASCD’s recent reportFulfilling the Promise of the Common Core State Standards: Moving from Adoption to Implementation to Sustainability illuminates activities educators at all levels can undertake to successfully implement the Common Core State Standards across the nation. The report and its implementation recommendations have already been successfully presented at events held by Utah ASCD, Ohio ASCD, and North Carolina ASCD. If you are interested in learning more about these opportunities, e-mail  Efrain Mercado, lead strategist for the Common Core State Standards, at both efrain.mercado@ascd.org andConstituentServices@ascd.org.

    
    

    A Progress Report on Teacher Evaluation

    Teacher quality is the most important in-school factor influencing student learning and achievement. Research shows that students with high-performing teachers can progress three times as fast as students with low-performing teachers and each student deserves access to highly effective teachers in every subject. In turn, all teachers deserve a fair and accurate assessment of their skills, how they perform in the classroom, and how they can improve. Teacher effectiveness is dependent on accurate and fair evaluations, based on multiple measures, including—but not solely based around—their students’ performance in the subjects they teach.

    If the ultimate goal of teacher evaluation is to improve student performance, what should evaluators look for? Read more on the Whole Child Blog.

    In November, we looked at the current teacher evaluation landscape. Listen to the Whole Child Podcast with guests Mike Blakeslee, deputy executive director and chief operating officer of the National Association for Music Education, a whole child partner organization and member of ASCD's College, Career, and Citizenship Readiness Coalition; Bryan Goodwin, vice president of communications at McREL, based in Denver, Colo.; and Cindy Weber, superintendent of Durand Area Schools in Durand, Mich. Have you signed up to receive the Whole Child Newsletter? Read this month's newsletter and visit the archive for more strategies, resources, and tools you can use to help ensure that each child is healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged.

    ASCD’s Educational Leadership also focused on fair and effective teacher evaluation in its November issue, featuring articles by Robert J. Marzano, Charlotte Danielson, Tony Frontier, Thomas R. Hoerr, Carol Ann Tomlinson, and other experts and practitioners. Topics, research, and commentary include peer review, classroom observation, value-added measures, school district examples from across the United States, and lessons from South Korea.

     

    Something to Talk About

    ·         Most recent blog posts on ASCD EDge®

    ·         Most clicked stories from ASCD SmartBrief

     

    Association News

    ·         New Professional Development Resources from ASCD Support Problem-Based Learning, Differentiated Instruction, and Common Core Implementation—ASCD announces the release of a series of new PD In Focus^® videos, as well as two PD Online^® courses. These new resources focus on supporting educators in implementing problem-based learning, differentiated instruction, and the Common Core State Standards. Read the full press release.

    ·         Thomas Armstrong Presents Strength-Based Model for Teaching Learners with Special Needs in New Book—ASCD is pleased to announce the release ofNeurodiversity in the Classroom: Strength-Based Strategies to Help Students with Special Needs Succeed in School and Life by seasoned educator and best-selling author Thomas Armstrong. This new professional development book is available in paperback and e-book formats. Read the full press release.

    ·         ASCD Authors Headline 2013 Annual Conference Pre-Conference Institutes— ASCD announced the pre-conference session lineup for the 2013 ASCD Annual Conference and Exhibit Show, being held at McCormick Place in Chicago, Ill. The three-, two-, and one-day Pre-Conference Institutes will be held March 13–15 and offer intensive learning experiences on curriculum, instruction, assessment, and more. Read the full press release.

    ·         Atlanta Public Schools Select Digital Solutions from ASCD to Support Professional Development Goals—Atlanta Public Schools (APS), serving more than 51,000 students in the greater Atlanta, Ga., metro area, has become the latest school system to select digital solutions from ASCD to meet theirdistrictwide professional development goals. Read the full press release.

     

  • Blog post
  • 5 months ago
  • Views: 242
  • Not yet rated

• L2L News: November 2012 L2L News: November 2012

  • From: Meg_Simpson
  • Description:

    ASCD Leader to Leader (L2L) News is a monthly e-mail newsletter for ASCD constituent group leaders that builds capacity to better serve members, provides opportunities to promote and advocate for ASCD’s Whole Child Initiative, and engages groups through sharing and learning about best practices. To submit a news item for the L2L newsletter, send an e-mail to constituentservices@ascd.org.

    Leader to Leader (L2L) News: November 2012

    Join the L2L Conversation on Twitter

     

    Your To-Do List: Action Items for ASCD Leaders

    • Register now for the Leadership Institute for Legislative Advocacy (LILA).This institute is an outstanding opportunity to hear from national education leaders about the latest education policy developments, network with fellow educators, and share your expertise with your federal lawmakers on Capitol Hill.
       
    • Speak out on sequestration.An education crisis is looming with the potential to disrupt services to 7.5 million U.S. students and threaten 90,000 U.S. educator jobs. Read more and take action on ascd.org.
       
    • Register now for ASCD’s Annual Conference.ASCD President Debra Hill invites you to the 2013 Annual Conference & Exhibit Show in her hometown of Chicago, Ill., March 16–18.
       

    Congratulations to the Newly Elected ASCD Leadership

    Following voting in the 2012 General Membership election this fall, ASCD members elected the following individuals to ASCD’s leadership:

    President-Elect:   Nancy Gibson, Illinois

    Board of Directors (two-year term):  Judy Zimmerman, Ohio

    Board of Directors (three-year terms):  Matt McClure, Arkansas and Pam Vogel, Iowa

    These individuals will begin their leadership terms at the 2013 ASCD Annual Conference in Chicago, Illinois. Please join us in congratulating them on their new ASCD leadership positions!

     

    Diane Ravitch to Speak at ASCD’s Legislative Conference

    Diane Ravitch, the renowned education historian, author, and professor, will be the keynote speaker for ASCD’s Leadership Institute for Legislative Advocacy (LILA) in Washington, D.C., January 27–29, 2013. Register for LILA to hear Ravitch’s provocative and unfiltered opinion about the current state of education reform.

    Ravitch, a former assistant secretary of education under President George H.W. Bush and onetime supporter of the No Child Left Behind Act, has undergone a dramatic rethinking of school improvement strategies as she’s witnessed school choice and standardized test–based accountability in action. She’ll share her insights about the policy and communications challenges facing educators today and how those obstacles can be overcome to prepare students to be college-, career-, and citizenship-ready. She will also advise conference attendees on how they can build public support for their profession and achieve their education policy goals.

    LILA will provide you with the most up-to-date information on federal education policy; share what November’s election results could mean for educators; and help attendees become effective advocates for their students, peers, and schools. Register for this premier legislative conference today and access the conference agenda, as well as lodging and travel information.  

     

    ASCD Leaders in Action: News from the ASCD Leader Community

     

    Congratulations to Bahamas ASCD, Our Newest ASCD Affiliate!

    Bahamas ASCD began as a Connected Community in 2008, and was recently approved by ASCD’s Board of Directors to become an affiliate. Please read Dr. Carter’s ASCD Inservice blog post “Join Me in Welcoming Bahamas ASCD.”

     

    2011 Emerging Leader Hannah Gbenro Featured in New ASCD Inservice Blog Series

    In an effort to highlight more educator voices on the ASCD blog, we recently initiated a series of Q&A sessions featuring ASCD Emerging Leaders. Check out the first post featuring 2011 Emerging Leader Hannah Gbenro.

     

    Please Welcome Huntingdon College to the ASCD Student Chapter Program

    ASCD is pleased to announce that Huntingdon College has been accepted into our ASCD Student Chapter Program. The student leaders are enthusiastically planning recruitment events and other activities for the coming semester. To learn more about ASCD Student Chapters, go to www.ascd.org/chapters.

     

    Brad Kuntz Writes Last “In the Classroom” Column for Education Update

    Please join us in thanking 2011 Outstanding Young Educator Award (OYEA) Winner Brad Kuntz for writing the monthly “In the Classroom” column for Education Update. If you haven’t had a chance to read them yet, check them out:

    • Oct. 2012: Be Good to Yourself
    • Sept. 2012: Create a Positive School Culture
    • July 2012: Don’t Wait Until It’s Too Late
    • May 2012: Engage Students by Embracing Technology
    • April 2012: Help Build a Whole Child Community
    • March 2012: Teach Students How to Be a Positive Influence
    • Feb. 2012: Use Meaningful Community Projects to Build Academic Skills
    • Jan. 2012: Stimulate Students’ Imaginations with Project-Based Learning
    • Dec. 2011: Build Personal Relationships to Boost Students’ Self Esteem
    • Nov. 2011: Engage Students in School Community

     

    Emerging Leader Leads First #ASCDL2L Chat

    Earlier this week, 2012 Emerging Leader Eric Bernstein (@BernsteinUSC) led the first #ASCDL2L Twitter chat with several other ASCD Emerging Leaders. The topic of the chat was on the effect of the recent U.S. presidential election on education policies in the United States. Emerging Leaders will be leading future #ASCDL2L chats; the next one will take place this Tuesday, November 13, from 5:00 – 6:00 p.m. EDT.

    Follow the #ASCDL2L hashtag or join the Leader to Leader group on ASCD EDge to learn about the future Twitter chats; the archive of this week’s Twitter chat is in the documents section of the Leader to Leader group.

     

    ASCD Leaders on ASCD EDge

    Check out these great posts from ASCD leaders on the ASCD EDge community site. Please read, comment, and share!

    • Life Long Learningby Patricia Dickenson, 2011 Emerging Leader
    • 5 Questions for All Leaders  and Reflections on Being a Blogger by Stephen Anderson, 2012 Emerging Leader
    • 3 Ways Principals Can Teach Data-Driven Instruction by Jessica Bohn, 2012 Emerging Leader
    • The Positives of Protocols by Fred Ende, 2012 Emerging Leader
    • Empowerment is Still Key by Mamzelle Adolphine, Professional Interest Community Facilitator
    • The Carnegie Unit Conundrum  and Course Time to Competencies by Jason Ellingson, 2012 Emerging Leader
    • ASCD Fall Conference Atlanta Day 1 and Day 2 by Matthew Cotton, 2012 Emerging Leader

     

    Emerging Leader Featured in ASCD Express

    2012 ASCD Emerging Leader Jessica Bohn is a school principal in a state that has fully implemented the Common Core State Standards. Her ASCD Express article, “Setting a Common Course,” shares tips to help others be instructional leaders in common core standards implementation. Please read and share her article!

    Other News:

    • Emerging Leader Patricia Dickenson recently presented on the topic of using common core mathematics standards with the UbD framework.  There is a link of the presentations on her website: http://www.drdickenson.com
      
      
    • Watch a video of 2012 OYEA Winner and Arkansas ASCD leader Matt McClure telling his story for ASCD’s 2013 Annual Conference theme: “Our Story. Our Time. Our Future.”
       
    • ASCD Emerging Leader alum and affiliate leader Tony Frontier is the co-author of the article “Keeping Improvement in Mind” in this month’s issue of Educational Leadership. The November 2012 issue theme is “Teacher Evaluation: What’s Fair, What’s Effective?” and ASCD Members can find the article on page 10 of their print copy or read it online.
      
      
    • Check out New Hampshire ASCD’s Fall 2012 e-newsletter (PDF).

     

    Putting the Whole Child Approach Into Action

    This month, we added 100 new schools and communities to the ASCD Whole Child Example Map. Identified by an ASCD leader or Whole Child Partner organization, these school and community examples reflect a commitment to a whole child approach put into practice. Each example highlights whole child achievements and links to information about the school or community. Use our interactive map tool to find current examples of schools and communities putting the whole child approach into action in your hometown and around the world. A whole child approach to education ensures that each child, in each school, and in each community is healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged.

    We continue to seek examples from across the world of exemplary schools, districts, and communities that are using a whole child approach. Please review the criteria for inclusion in our Whole Child Examples Map on our online form, and submit an example for review.

     

    New ASCD Publication Policy Points to Highlight Timely Education Topics

    ASCD’s newest policy resource, ASCD Policy Points, will be published every other month and will provide ASCD members, Educator Advocates, and the public with important information, data, and insights on timely education policy topics in an easy to use, easy to understand format (e.g. myths and facts, FAQs, and infographics). The inaugural issue of ASCD Policy Points, published in October, spotlighted the U.S. presidential candidates’ positions on education policy.

     

    Something to Talk About

    Most recent blog posts on ASCD EDge®

    Mostclicked stories from ASCD SmartBrief

     

    Association News

    ASCD Urges All Educators to Stay Informed and Involved—With the election decided, it is crucial for educators to become involved to ensure education remains a top priority for the Obama administration and the 113th Congress. ASCD has a few great ways for educators to stay informed and help shape future education policy. Read the full press release.

    ASCD Releases Report on Common Core State Standards Implementation—ASCD has released a new report titled Fulfilling the Promise of the Common Core State Standards: Moving from Adoption to Implementation to Sustainability illuminating activities educators and policymakers at all levels can undertake to successfully implement the Common Core State Standards across the nation. This free report can be found on the EduCore™ site, ASCD’s free repository of evidence-based strategies, videos, and supporting documents that help educators transition to the Common Core standards. Read the full press release.

    New, Free ASCD App for iPad Brings Valuable Professional Development Content to Educators Anywhere—ASCD has launched a new , free app for iPad that lets educators who purchase ASCD e-books easily access that content on their iPad. ASCD members can also use the app to access their members-only content such as Educational Leadership, Education Update and Policy Priorities. For ASCD premium online or select online members, the app will automatically sync their ASCD e-books. Read the full press release.

    ASCD Appoints Mary Catherine “MC” Desrosiers as New Chief of Program Development—ASCD has appointed Mary Catherine “MC” Desrosiers as the association’s new Chief Program Development Officer. In her new role, Desrosiers will lead and direct the association’s publishing, content acquisition and development, creative services, professional development, and conferences and institutes units. Read the full press release.

    GlobalScholar Renews Support for ASCD’s 2013 Annual Conference and Exhibit Show—GlobalScholar, a provider of innovative education solutions, returns this year as a lead partner for ASCD's 2013 Annual Conference and Exhibit Show. From March 16 to 18, in Chicago, Ill., the association’s Annual Conference and Exhibit Show, “Learning: Our Story. Our Time. Our Future.,” will explore what committed educators are doing to support the success of each learner. Read the full press release.

     

     

  • Blog post
  • 6 months ago
  • Views: 380
  • Not yet rated

• Promoting STEM in a 21st centu Promoting STEM in a 21st century World

  • From: Elliott_Seif
  • Description:

    Many experts and commentators who write about career changes suggest that STEM careers (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) are growth opportunities for the future. There is a concern on the part of these experts and commentators that we are not training enough of our students in these fields, and that we will need to continue to hire talented individuals who live outside our country in order to maintain our leadership in these fields.

     

    One would think that there would be a strong priority on promoting these areas through changes to the curriculum, teacher training, career exploration and the like. Yet it is hard to see when this will happen when so much national and state energy and effort are focused around decontextualized reading strategies, traditional mathematics, reading and math common core standards, teacher evaluation, and so on.

     

    We will all know that there will be a renewed emphasis on STEM school programs and in STEM career incentives when:

     

    The Federal government and the states lead to way in promoting strong STEM programs, courses, curricula in all schools…

     

    Strong incentives are created to build a teaching force at all levels that has significant expertise in STEM fields…

     

    A strong hands-on, minds-on STEM curriculum is taught in the morning in all pre-K and elementary grade levels…

     

    Second grade students shout in unison that what they like best in school are doing science investigations, solving interesting math problems, and working on interesting “authentic” technology challenges…

     

    Students at all levels agree that STEM subjects are motivating, fun, enjoyable…

     

    The best high school teachers are asked to teach two new required courses: a STEM course, and a science and society[i] course…

     

    From an early age, students are introduced to, explore, and develop projects around the ten grand engineering challenges[ii]…

     

    There is a big push to promote interdisciplinary STEM programs at all school levels…

     

    Television ads are developed that demonstrate the appeal of STEM careers…

     

    Colleges are flooded with applications from high school students who want to focus on STEM subjects…

     

    -----------------------------

     

    Unfortunately, we are unlikely to see any of these ten things happen anytime soon. But those of you who read this can consider the following: How can I as a teacher, as an administrator, as a community member, create ways to encourage my students to consider STEM careers? How can I strengthen my own teaching or school program so that students become more interested in and motivated towards these fields?

     

    This is a very worthwhile goal in a 21^st century world.

     

    
    

    ---

    [i] To examine the most important science policy questions of our time, go to:

    http://notes.nap.edu/science-debate-2012/?utm_medium=etmail&utm_source=The%20National%20Academies%20Press&utm_campaign=Science+Debate+2012&utm_content=web%20updates&utm_term=#.UI60kY4Qh0g

     

    [ii] To discover the ten grand challenges of engineering, go to http://www.engineeringchallenges.org/cms/challenges.aspx

     

    ---------------------------

    

    Elliott Seif is a long time educator, Understanding by Design trainer, author, consultant, and former Professor of Education at Temple University. If you are interested in further exploring ways to help prepare students to live in a 21^st century world, go to:  www.era3learning.org

  • Blog post
  • 7 months ago
  • Views: 396

• From Common Core Standards to From Common Core Standards to Curriculum: Five Big Ideas (Part 4)

  • From: Jay_McTighe
  • Description:

    Big Idea # 4 – A coherent curriculum is mapped backwards from desired performances.

    The key to avoiding an overly discrete and fragmented curriculum is to design backward from complex performances that require content. A return to the linguistic roots of “curriculum” reveals the wisdom in this outcome-focused view. The Latin meaning of the term is a “course to be run.”  This original connotation helpfully suggests that we should think of a curriculum as the pathway toward a destination. As mentioned above, our conception is that curriculum should be framed and developed in terms of worthy outputs; i.e., desired performances by the learner, not simply as a listing of content inputs.

     

    This is not a new idea. Ralph Tyler made this very point more than 60 years ago (Tyler, 1949). He proposed a curriculum development method involving a matrix of content and process components that would guide teachers in meshing these two elements into effective performance-based learning. As Tyler points out, the “purpose of a statement of objectives is to indicate the kinds of changes in the student to be brought about… Hence it is clear that a statement of objectives in terms of content headings… is not a satisfactory basis for guiding the further development of the curriculum.” Indeed, the Mathematics Standards recommend just such an approach:

    “The Standards for Mathematical Practice describe ways in which developing student practitioners of the discipline of mathematics increasingly ought to engage with the subject matter as they grow in mathematical maturity and expertise throughout the elementary, middle and high school years. Designers of curricula, assessments, and professional development should all attend to the need to connect the mathematical practices to mathematical content in mathematics instruction.” (p 8)

     

    Thus, the first question for curriculum writers is not: What will we teach and when should we teach it?  Rather the initial question for curriculum development must be goal focused: Having learned key content, what will students be able to do with it?

     

    Our long-standing contention applies unequivocally to the Common Core Standards as well as to other Standards: The ultimate aim of a curriculum is independent transfer; i.e., for students to be able to employ their learning, autonomously and thoughtfully, to varied complex situations, inside and outside of school. Lacking the capacity to independently apply their learning, a student will be neither college nor workplace ready.

    
    The ELA Standards make this point plainly in their characterization of the capacities of the literate individual:

    “They demonstrate independence. Students can, without significant scaffolding, comprehend and evaluate complex texts across a range of types and disciplines, and they can construct effective arguments and convey intricate or multifaceted information… Students adapt their communication in relation to audience, task, purpose, and discipline. Likewise, students are able independently to discern a speaker’s key points, request clarification, and ask relevant questions... Without prompting, they demonstrate command of standard English and acquire and use a wide-ranging vocabulary. More broadly, they become self-directed learners, effectively seeking out and using resources to assist them, including teachers, peers, and print and digital reference materials.” (p. 7)

     

    These points underscore a potential misunderstanding resulting from a superficial reading of the Standards documents (especially in Mathematics). One could simply parcel out lists of discrete grade-level standards and topics along a calendar while completely ignoring the long-term goal of transfer. A curriculum envisioned and enacted as a set of maps of content and skill coverage will simply not, by itself, develop a student’s increasingly autonomous capacity to use learned content effectively to address complex tasks and problems. Such traditional scope-and-sequencing of curriculum reinforces a “coverage” mentality and reveals a misconception; i.e., that teaching bits of content in a logical and specified order will somehow add up to the desired achievements called for in the Standards.

     

    A related misconception is evident when teachers assume that the Standards prescribe the instructional sequence and pacing. Not so! To assume that the layout of the documents imply an instructional chronology is as flawed as thinking that since a dictionary is helpfully organized from A to Z, that vocabulary should therefore be taught in alphabetical order. While the grade-level Standards are certainly not arbitrary and reflect natural long-term “learning progressions,” a rigid sequence within each grade level was never intended.The authors of the Common Core Mathematics Standards explicitly call attention to this misconception and warn against it:

    “For example, just because topic A appears before topic B in the standards for a given grade, it does not necessarily mean that topic A must be taught before topic B. A teacher might prefer to teach topic B before topic A, or might choose to highlight connections by teaching topic A and topic B at the same time. Or, a teacher might prefer to teach a topic of his or her own choosing that leads, as a byproduct, to students reaching the standards for topics A and B.”  (p. 5)

     

    The implications of these points are critical not only for curriculum mapping but for the very nature of instructional practice. Consider this advice from a non-academic source – the United States Soccer Coaches Federation. In Best Practices for Coaching Soccer in The U.S., the Federation recommends a change in the soccer “curriculum” of practice:

    “When conducting training sessions, there needs to be a greater reliance on game oriented training that is player centered and enables players to explore and arrive at solutions while they play. This is in contrast to the ‘coach centered’ training that has been the mainstay of coaching methodology over the years. ‘Game centered training’ implies that the primary training environment is the game as opposed to training players in ‘drill’ type environments. This is not to say that there is not a time for a more ‘direct’ approach to coaching. At times, players need more guidance and direction as they are developing. However, if the goal is to develop creative players who have the abilities to solve problems, and interpret game situations by themselves, a ‘guided discovery’ approach needs to be employed.” (pp 62-64)

     

    We propose that this recommendation applies equally to teachers of academics as to coaches of soccer. In other words, if we want students to be able to apply their learning via autonomous performance, we need to design our curriculum backward from that goal. Metaphorically speaking, then, educators need to ask, what is the “game” we expect students to be able to play with skill and flexibility?  In other words, we need clarity and consensus about the point of content learning – independent transfer. Then, we can build the curriculum pathway backward with those worthy performances in mind.

     

    To design a school curriculum backward from the goal of autonomous transfer requires a deliberate and transparent plan for helping the student rely less and less on teacher hand-holding and scaffolds. After all, transfer is about independent performance in context. You can only be said to have fully understood and applied your learning if you can do it without someone telling you what to do. In the real world, no teacher is there to direct and remind you about which lesson to plug in here or what strategy fits there; transfer is about intelligently and effectively drawing from your repertoire, independently, to handle new situations on your own. Accordingly, we should see an increase, by design, in problem- and project-based learning, small-group inquiries, Socratic Seminars, and independent studies as learners progress through the curriculum across the grades.

     

    Our point here is straightforward: if a curriculum simply marches through lists of content knowledge and skills without attending to the concomitant goal of cultivating independent performance, high-schoolers will remain as dependent on teacher directions and step-by-step guidance as 4^th graders currently are. The resulting graduates will be unprepared for the demands of college and the workplace.

  • Blog post
  • 7 months ago
  • Views: 698

• L2L News: October 2012 L2L News: October 2012

  • From: Meg_Simpson
  • Description:

    ASCD Leader to Leader (L2L) News is a monthly e-mail newsletter for ASCD constituent group leaders that builds capacity to better serve members, provides opportunities to promote and advocate for ASCD’s Whole Child Initiative, and engages groups through sharing and learning about best practices. To submit a news item for the L2L newsletter, send an e-mail to constituentservices@ascd.org.

    Your To-Do List: Action Items for ASCD Leaders

    1. Vote in ASCD’s general membership election.Voting ends October 15. Make your voice heard! More information about voting is below.
    2. Register now for the Leadership Institute for Legislative Advocacy (LILA).This institute is an outstanding opportunity to hear from national education leaders about the latest education policy developments, network with fellow educators, and share your expertise with your federal lawmakers on Capitol Hill.
    3. Speak out on sequestration.An education crisis is looming with the potential to disrupt services to 7.5 million U.S. students and threaten 90,000 U.S. educator jobs. Read more and take action on ascd.org.
    4. Register now for ASCD’s Annual Conference.ASCD President Debra Hill welcomes you to the 2013 Annual Conference & Exhibit Show in her hometown of Chicago, Ill., March 16–18.

     

    Vote in ASCD’s 2012 General Membership Election

    ASCD’s general membership election closes October 15, 2012. You can help determine the association’s leadership by voting for President-Elect and members of the Board of Directors. Successful candidates will take office at the conclusion of ASCD’s Annual Conference on March 18, 2013.

    The election is online only. Hereis how to vote online: Go to www.ascd.org/vote. You will need to log in using your ASCD username, e-mail address, or member ID and password. If you are eligible to vote in this year’s election, click on the “Vote Now” button to connect to our secure online election system. If you don’t have your log-in information or password, contact the ASCD Service Center at 1-800-933-ASCD(2723) (International/DC callers: dial 703-578-9600) and then press 1, or send an e-mail to member@ascd.org. Candidates’ photos and biographies are included with the online ballot and also appeared in the September issue of Education Update.

    Have questions? Not every member has voting privileges. You are ineligible to vote if your membership was unpaid as of August 16, 2012, or you hold a complimentary membership. Please contact ASCD Governance Director Becky DeRigge at bderigge@ascd.org or by phone (1-800-933-2723 or 1-703-575-5601) with any questions.

     

    Spread the Word About the School Improvement Tool

    Please feel free to download and print this School Improvement Tool Buck Slip (PDF) to help spread the word about the ASCD School Improvement Tool.

     

    ASCD Student Chapters: They’re Learning to Teach, Now Learning to Lead

    ASCD is proud to announce great new resources for ASCD student chapters, including updated web pages for current chapters and an infographic on how to start a student chapter of your own. And for the first time, we’re offering a student discount for the ASCD Fall Conference; students can access the discounted rate by selecting the student registration rate at checkout—$139 for members and $159 for nonmembers. Please use these resources and discounts to spread the word about ASCD student chapters in your community! Contact constituentservices@ascd.org if you have any questions.

     

    ASCD Leaders on ASCD EDge

    Check out these great posts from ASCD leaders on the ASCD EDge community site. Please read, comment, and share!

    • Learning is Everywhere, Jason Ellingson, 2012 Emerging Leader
       
    • Generating Genius, Craig Martin, 2012 Emerging Leader
       
    • What We Talk About When We Talk About Gaps, Jason Flom, 2010 Emerging Leader
       
    • Do As I Say, Not As I Do, Mamzelle Adolphine, Professional Interest Community Facilitator
       
    • Adding Meaning to Your Meetings, Fred Ende, 2012 Emerging Leader
       
    • The Student Creates the Teacher, Jason Ellingson, 2012 Emerging Leader
       
    • Three Quick Tips for Creating a Collaborative Culture, Jessica Bohn, 2012 Emerging Leader

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Other News

    • Did you catch a familiar name in the “Perspectives” column from this month’s Educational Leadership issue themed “Students Who Challenge Us”? Marge Scherer shares 2010 OYEA winner Brian Nichols’ story about two teachers who made all the difference in his life: one for the better, one for the worse. Read it on page 7 of your copy of EL or check it out online.
       
    • Washington ASCD recently published the fall issue their e-newsletter, Curriculum in Context using issuu, a free online e-publishing software. This informative issue is themed “Upholding Common Standards: Adopting and Implementing Common Core.” Please read and share this great resource with other educators who may be interested.
       
    • 2012 ASCD Emerging Leader Michael DiCaprio recently wrote an article for ASCD’s Core Connection newsletter. Please read and share his piece, “The Building Leader and the Common Core.”
      
      
    • Please read, share, and comment on 2012 ASCD Emerging Leader Jessica Bohn’s first Whole Child blog post, “Engaging the Whole Community to Support Positive Bus Behavior.”

     

    Something to Talk About

    By Kevin Scott, ASCD Constituent Services Director: What Are You Watching? and BTSN

    By Walter McKenzie, ASCD Constituent Services Director: Rich, Real World Performance-Based Learning, The New Minimalism, An Education Engine

    By Tom Whitby: PD: How do Educators Get to Know What They Don’t Know?, Does Being Connected Help in Being Recognized? , and The Six “P’s” of Education

    Most recent blog posts on ASCD EDge®

    Mostclicked stories from ASCD SmartBrief

     

    Association News

    ASCD Introduces Three New PD Online® Courses for the Common Core and Differentiated Instruction—Since 1996, ASCD has provided innovative and award-winning PD Online courses to educators across the world. PD Online features more than 80 courses focusing on a broad array of important topics and incorporates multimedia and high-quality digital content that fits the needs of almost any type and size of learning group, ranging from individual learners to statewide deployments and integration with university programs. Read the full press release.

    Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Selects ASCD to Support Professional Development Goals—Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS), winner of the 2011 Broad Prize for Urban Education, recently selected ASCD as its new, district-wide professional development partner. Read the full press release.

    ASCD Announces November 2012 Professional Development Institute Series in Myrtle Beach— ASCD announces a series of two- and three-day professional development institutes in Myrtle Beach, S.C., this November. Read the full press release.

    Registration Now Open for ASCD’s 2013 Annual Conference and Exhibit Show—ASCD is pleased to announce that registration is now open for the much-anticipated 68th ASCD Annual Conference and Exhibit Show. Built on the theme “Learning: Our Story. Our Time. Our Future.," the Annual Conference and Exhibit Show will be held at McCormick Place in Chicago, Ill., March 16–18, and will inform, engage, help, and challenge educators from across the globe to better support student success. Read the full press release.

     

     

  • Blog post
  • 7 months ago
  • Views: 322

• Improving Student learning Improving Student learning

  • From: Asha_Singh
  • Description:

       After reviewing several resources that would improve learning opportunities for students, I was convinced that these recommendations would assist students should they be adhered to. According to Pashler et al., (2007) in their article, “Organizing instruction and study to improve student’s learning,” they have provided significant guidelines with regards to assisting struggling students to succeed. These guidelines are targeted to aid students in every subject area.

    Their article suggested that students can benefit by spacing their learning over time. Arrangements should be made to review key components of the course after several weeks following the original presentation. Another advice is for examples of problems already solved interchanging between following already worked problems and the ones they are trying to solve. As they develop expertise they would depend less on worked examples. Equally important is the need to combine graphics with verbal descriptions. Students will benefit more when verbal description is presented in an audio format. Connecting and integrating abstract and concrete representations of concepts and ensuring the applicable features are highlighted will benefit students is another recommendation that students can benefit from. An additional proposal is to use quizzes to promote learning. Preparing pre-questions or game-like quizzes provide additional experience for students. A further recommendation is to help students allocate study time efficiently. Students need guidance in identifying what material they need to know well and what needs further study. They need help in judging what is important and what is relevant for studying.

     

    Last, but equally important is the need to ask profound explanatory questions. Questions should allow students to respond with explanations that shows full understanding of the concepts taught.

     Learning depends a lot on memory and teachers who follow these recommendations will see improvement in their students.

     

    Reference:

    .

    Pasher, H., Bain, P., Bottge, B., Graesser, A., Koedinger, K., McDaniel, M., and

     

    Metcalfe, J. (2007)        

     

     

  • Blog post
  • 7 months ago
  • Views: 251

• PD: How do educators get to kn PD: How do educators get to know what they don’t know?

  • From: Tom_Whitby
  • Description:

    When it comes to education reform, there are in general two major camps, but there are also several variations of each. The first camp would like to blow up the system and start all over. The other camp wants to continue the status quo while working to change it in directions governed by whatever dominant force of change has the ear of the public at the time. I find my own inclinations falling somewhere between the two camps. I want to blow some stuff up while improving upon some existing stuff. Like most educators, or any people with a basic understanding of authentic assessment, I do want to blow up any notion or hint of compliance with high stakes, standardized testing. The area of improvement that I think will get us the biggest bang for the all-important, tax buck is professional development.

    It has long been my position that to be better educators, we need to be better learners. Since I have worked in higher education now for a while, many teachers have said to me how they love having student teachers in their building, because they can learn so much from the “young people” about all the new stuff in education. Some variation of that phrase has been repeated by more than one educator every year since I have been working with student teachers. To me that is a big RED FLAG. It causes me to ask, “Why does a veteran teacher need to have a student bring them up to date on the latest methodology, pedagogy and technology in the field of education?” If our students are to get a relevant education, should we not have relevant educators? Why on earth would experienced educators need students to provide that which every school district in the country should be striving to provide teachers within their system?

    We need to examine the way we approach professional development in education. Too often it is left up to the educators to seek out their own PD. That is good for some, but not all educators have an understanding of what they do not know. If you don’t know about something, how would you know to seek PD in that area? This is especially true of learning with technology. I have a master’s degree in educational technology. The fact is that not any of the applications or computers that I learned on, as well as the methodology in the use of those components, exists today. Very little of that degree would be relevant, if I did not continue to learn, adapt and progress with what I know. The same holds true with any degree in any profession. From the day one gets a degree, things in that area of expertise begin to change. With the influence of a technology-driven culture, things move at a much faster pace than years past causing a more rapid rate of change. Therefore, the pace at which things change has increased exponentially, while the way we provide PD to deal with these changes is relatively unchanged from years past in many, if not most schools.

    PD is offered by many schools in an annual or semiannual teacher workshop day. The other method is to allow teachers to seek out their own PD on their own time, often at their own expense. Technology training for teachers is often addressed in schools. The method of choice, however, by many schools is what my friend Brian Wasson, an IT guy, refers to as the “Home Depot Method.” The district goes out and buys all the cool tools from the vendors and then tries to teach, or force feed them to the teachers. That is a sure formula for failure.

    We need to change PD. It must be part of an educator’s work week, and that includes administrators. We need educators to connect with other educators to collaborate and maintain relevance. Educators need to explore their needs and address them with solutions of their choosing after exploring the options. Faculty meetings can address procedures in shared documents with educators, while using the time in meetings to discuss pedagogy, methodology, best practices and new ideas. Educators need to be supported in trying new endeavors. When we address PD as evolving and continuous, and not as a teacher workshop day, we will begin to bring relevance back to education. Schools that do this now will be the first to tell us this. Of course, we need to connect with them for that to happen. Connecting educators is a first step.

  • Blog post
  • 7 months ago
  • Views: 919

• The New Minimalism The New Minimalism

  • From: Walter_McKenzie
  • Description:

    Over the past year, in my work with ASCD affiliates, we have been exploring ways to revolutionize the ways we serve their affiliate members. Why? The writing is on the wall that today’s educators have different needs and expectations. It’s difficult to get out of the classroom to attend conferences, and when educators can get away for professional development they want to be actively engaged in acquiring meaning and building understanding. One concept I have asked affiliates to explore is the deconstruction of conferences, workshops and seminars into a newly emerging kind of professional development: the unconference.

     

    Why unconference? It’s a back-to-basics movement…a new minimalism…wherein the participants define the learning and then contribute to its success. There are no keynote speakers, no concurrent sessions and no matrix schedules. They can be held anywhere you can find conducive free space so there is literally no overhead costs. And the payoff is that those who attend get to connect, learn and network for follow-up discussions after the event is over. Sounds intriguing…but scary! As one affiliate board member remarked to me at their summer retreat: “No headliners? No identified agenda? No pre-registration? What if nobody comes?!”

     

    “Take a chance!” I replied. “If nobody comes then…nobody will know it flopped!” The room laughed nervously. But the truth is to make revolutionary changes in how we serve educators, we need to take risks. Every affiliate  I have discussed unconferencing with has been fascinated with the idea. It makes sense to them…especially as they consider the needs of educators under 40. They’re not joiners. They don’t want to sit and be talked at. They want opportunities to apply themselves and be leaders among their peers. They need places where they can make that happen. What we need are some early adopters…

     

    We do have a number of affiliates seriously planning their first foray into unconferencing. This past week I attended the first of a series of unconferences to be held by South Carolina ASCD on Project-Based Learning (PBL) at a middle school in Columbia, SC. Executive Director Charlene Herring invited me because of my recent book IQuest and so I could provide an additional layer of support as her team began this new PD experiment.

     

    Because there was no published schedule or agenda, only an open-ended theme, the SC ASCD team had no idea who would actually show up or what would happen when they did. As educators rolled in, they slapped on a self-signed nametag and went to one of three whiteboards at the front of the room and wrote what they knew about PBL and what they were seeking to learn at the unconference. There were few solo attendees…most educators came in teams of two-to-six  people…and they sat in their teams wherever they found seats. What struck me most? Of the 40 people who came to participate, more than thirty of them were young educators. The over-forty attendees were administrators who brought their young teams to contribute and learn. And the teams did not stay in teams for long. People were quickly talking across teams to share and learn and exchange contact information. It was purposeful and powerful in how it took on a life of its own.

     

    Several teams emerged as having experience and expertise that everyone else in attendance wanted to hear about. There were elementary people picking the brains of secondary people and vice-versa. At some points people met in quickly-forming groups to discuss PBL planning or implementation or assessment concerns. Then the room would shift as groups of educators sought to discuss ideas by grade level. By the time it was over, SC ASCD’s first unconference was a high-energy success with everyone parting full of ideas and strategies and new contacts with whom they could continue the conversation. The entire event lasted three hours and didn’t cost anyone a penny. It was relevant engaging and satisfying for everyone involved.

     

    Could it be more than 40 attendees? Absolutely. But it was a great turnout for a first-time event with no defined parameters. More importantly, it was a big step for an ASCD affiliate offering a new kind of professional development to its membership. Yes, edcamps and unconferences are already tried-and-true PD formats in ed tech circles, but ed tech educators are typically early adopters and innovators by trade. I am very proud of our ASCD affiliates serving as innovators in their own right. We can build on our successes and learn from our efforts. The point is, ASCD and its affiliates are committed to remaining relevant partners to educators, providing rich resources and rewarding experiences that make a difference in their work. Thank you to the SC ASCD team and its members who partook in last week’s PBL unconference. And here’s to more ground-breaking innovation for our affiliates in the months to come!

     

    Walter’s blog archive: http://surfaquarium.com/blog.htm
    

    Mirror site: http://surfaquarium.blogspot.com/
    

  • Blog post
  • 7 months ago
  • Views: 1549

• 3 Essential PD Lessons to Reme 3 Essential PD Lessons to Remember

  • From: Glenda_Horner
  • Description:

     

    “Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very clean. It's perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands. It hopes we've learned something from yesterday.”

    ~ John Wayne

     

    In a year-long exploration of professional development, I’ve enjoyed sharing with you practical tools and tips for fine-tuning your PD efforts as you work to impact and change teacher classroom practice as a means for improving student performance. Although this blog series comes to a close this month, my hope is that you take with you three essential PD lessons we’ve learned along the way.

     

    Lesson 1: PD is only as good as its implementation

     

    The unwavering truth is that we are often rich in professional learning opportunities, yet poor in implementation.  The extent to which teachers are actually using a newly gained practice in their classrooms is a great frustration for many school leaders and classroom educators. Quite simply, it is the difference between what we know in theory and what we do in practice. Therefore, as leaders, it is essential that we fully realize that PD is only as good as its implementation. Rather than investing scare resources in the next “PD thing,” we must commit to investing in the implementation of effective PD. Our students will reap the benefits of our implementation efforts.

     

    Lesson 2: PD should be on-going and embedded within a teacher’s day

     

    Because PD ultimately seeks to bring about change in teacher practice, as school leaders, we need to consider job-embedded PD as a way to better ensure deepened levels of implementation. The thinking behind job-embedded PD is that a focus on teacher learning that is removed from the classroom is destined to miss the mark because it does not take into account the setting in which the teacher learning will unfold. Joyce & Showers (1980) use the term transfer. Their notable procedural PD model suggests the use of coaching (one form of job-embedded PD) to follow-up and support teachers’ efforts to transfer their learning into the classroom. Coaching deals with the how: how you can move on from where you are to where you desire (or need) to move; it is action-oriented, and concerned with the present and future. After all, Schön (1983) tells us that people cannot be taught; they can only be coached to learn.

     

    Lesson 3: Capacity building is essential to sustaining PD efforts

     

    Some of you might recall the vintage Faberge Organics commercial “I told two friends and they told two friends and they told two friends.” As leaders and professional developers, we can learn a lesson or two from this effective marketing campaign because the same holds true in building PD capacity. Although a myriad of persons are responsible for the success of a PD effort, no one is as vital as the teacher.  And, building expertise in effective instructional practices is essential to sustaining PD efforts. In particular, schools that succeed best in implementing PD often employ a group of strong teacher leaders who model strategies for other teachers in a non-threatening way. With relative frequency, these individuals are able to informally influence the overt behavior or attitudes of others. These informal leaders are able to earn their leadership through practical competency and approachability. In time, through the actions of this carefully selected cadre of teachers, the initiative spreads and spills out down hallways and into the classrooms of other teachers.  For this reason, teachers should have some ownership of the direction of PD and the institution’s shared vision for the future.

     

    The prevalent theme of these essential lessons is that we must abandon a scattershot approach to professional learning and support ongoing, purposeful learning until there is evidence that the learning is having the desired impact upon our schools. Schools can become learning organizations capable of significant change only if those within them recognize that school improvement is a complex, ongoing process rather than a task to be completed or destination to be reached. In the arena of professional learning, we must make and reaffirm a fierce commitment to continuously improve as we look towards tomorrow and the lessons gained from yesterday. I wish you well as you continue your journey. To borrow the words of Gloria Gaither, “We may run, walk, stumble, drive, or fly, but let us never lose sight of the reason for the journey.”

     

    Resource:

    Schön, D. (1983). The reflective practitioner: How professionals think in action. Basic Books, Inc.

     

    Dr. Glenda Horner is the Coordinator for Staff Development in the Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District in Houston, Texas.  She has participated in ASCD’s Capacity Building Professional Development services. Go to www.ascd.org/oscb to learn more.

  • Video blog post
  • 8 months ago
  • Views: 855

• An Education Engine An Education Engine

  • From: Walter_McKenzie
  • Description:

    In this election year we continue hearing about “twenty-first century” skills. But what we should be talking about, IMHO, is what’s after the twenty-first century threshold. At the outset, the challenge seemed to be to simply be able to manage the data with which we are inundated. But as the tools to manage data have become more and more user-friendly, the next challenge is to find contexts for the pertinent information we encounter … context provided by the experience and expertise we bring to understanding information. When we have meaningful understanding of information, insight is created, the kind of insight that identifies opportunities for innovation. There is a shift from mere information management to insight.

     

    Another major change we are experiencing is movement from the simple realization that we live in a global economy to actively contributing to a communal marketplace of ideas. The first decade of the twenty-first century kicked off with a celebration of the fact that we now have the capability to interact globally, and we have been doing that through various electronic communications. But with this capability now demonstrated daily, the next challenge is to use these tools to truly build communities across traditional geographic and political boundaries. It is slowly taking place as we bridge the challenges of time zones, language differences, and cultural differences. There is a shift from simple global awareness to collaborating communities world-wide.

     

    There is a progression of four different stages in this thinking:

     

    The Ideate Paradigm: Generating ideas based on global information. This is where the twenty-first century started. It is the result of norm-referenced standardized testing and the push to compare ourselves not only with local students, but students elsewhere. The institutional reaction to how students compare to others around the world generates entirely new initiatives to close gaps and document student achievement improvement. This approach is linear and sequential and focused on deficits. It is Zeno’s “racetrack paradox,” which states that if you keep advancing half the distance to the finish line, mathematically you never actually reach it. (Aristotle, Physics 239b11-13). This is the rut in which education sits today, and because it is statistically impossible to ever reach the finish line, public education has become politicized and polarized. No one wins.

     

    The Automate Paradigm: Utilizing digital technology to complete a number of traditional tasks faster, more accurately and with greater ease than we used to be able to accomplish the same tasks in the industrial age. This has been a huge breakthrough in productivity and efficiency. Unfortunately it has also made technology a primary focus in-and-of itself. Automating our schools does not transform education; it simply builds on the ways we already teach with new tools used to complete traditional goals. Of particular concern is the role vendors are now playing in education decision-making; the lines have blurred and we are not necessarily making educational decisions based solely on the needs of the learner. There is now an insidious commercial influence that has the potential to move public education into the domain of private enterprise.

     

    The Informate Paradigm: Using digital communications and learning tools, we can create new ways to empower every family to support their children as learners. Instead of focusing on the technology, transform education by building capacity for all family members, students and parents, to be ctive life-long learners. This paradigm transcends automating, looking past immediate task-focused instructional goals and focusing on a global destination for public education: the more school-aged families become acclimated to using information portals, electronic communications and online learning communities, the more we will realize our mission in public education to provide a free, appropriate education for everyone. In this paradigm we elevate the impact of education by engaging all education stakeholders using the tools we have at our disposal.

     

    The Innovate Paradigm: Beyond generating ideas, automating tasks and informating electronically, innovating is the ultimate goal: generating original knowledge, new products and novel solutions to problems that are valued across learning communities. To innovate is to push the envelope, take risks, gain insight and eventually break new ground that contributes to the greater good. Risks that do not produce innovation are not considered failures, but opportunities to gain insight for future risk-taking, as well. Find a point on the horizon where you know you and your students must be and then use the insight you possess to figure out how to get there. As a result of reaching that point on the horizon, the worldwide economy is infused with energy and ideas and new possibilities. This is the future today’s children will inherit, and we must prepare them for it.

     

    So, rather than fixating on twenty-first century skills, identify where you are now in this 4-stage progression on the matrix below and then figure out your next steps to help your students and school and community move forward toward innovating. Do you have to go through each of the four stages listed above to reach innovation? No. The matrix is simply a high-level snapshot of where we are and where we are headed. Instead of trying to match the matrix step-for-step, practice true innovating by finding the point on the horizon where you know you need to be…a model innovator…and then work to gain insight on how you will get there. Take risks based on your insight, and learn from your journey.

     

    

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    How do we summarize the journey to innovating? From an education perspective, we need to revolutionize the ways we work, the ways we teach, and the ways we learn. We cannot simply reform the old model. We must transform public education into a new, global, innovating enterprise that becomes the engine for a revitalized economy.

     

    Technology is integral in both converting raw data (information) into understanding (insight) and bridging the gap between comparing ourselves to other cultures (global awareness) to participating in new societies (collaborating communities). Although the focus can’t be on the technology itself, we as educators must be looking for the ways the technology can open possibilities for our students to learn.

     

    Of course, the focus always comes back to students learning. Melding our understanding of how the world is changing, how technology is providing opportunity, and a sound understanding of the multiple intelligences is a roadmap that can lead our educational system not only deep into the twenty-first century, but well beyond.

     

    Walter’s blog archive: http://surfaquarium.com/blog.htm

    Mirror site: http://surfaquarium.blogspot.com/

  • Blog post
  • 8 months ago
  • Views: 1895

• Part II Teacher Performance Fr Part II Teacher Performance Framework

  • From: Adrian_Bertolini
  • Description:

    

    In the previous blog post on ASCD Edge I shared that we need to develop new measurement and teacher development approaches that would actually lead to improvement in teacher performance rather than destroying it (as standardised test results appear to be doing).

     

    In today’s posting I am going to explore the thinking behind the 3 rubrics I have co-created with one Australian school as an approach to supporting the development of teacher performance. A warning to you however, I am not saying this is THE ANSWER. This is one well-thought out approach. I invite you to learn what you learn from this!
     

    Intention of the Performance Framework

    The school had 3 major intentions for developing the teacher performance framework

    1.       To promote a culture of learning that considers the needs of the 21^st century learner (our clients)

    2.       To ensure that all staff are driven by a common pedagogy and pastoral care that is firmly rooted in their values.

    3.       To provide a performance framework based on the Australian National Standards for Teachers that supports:

    o   teacher self-evaluation

    o   clarity around expectations, key work tasks and the necessary capabilities

    o   the identification, link to resources, and structured supportive coaching for areas requiring improvement 

    o   the acknowledgement of excellence

    o   the development of a formal policy for managing unsatisfactory performance

    o   the alignment of employee behaviour with organisational behaviour

    o   the building of capacity that leads to outstanding performance

     

    The Three Teacher Performance Rubrics

    The three rubrics we co-created (and are still in draft form) are as follows:

    1.       Personal Capacity – Emotional Intelligence Rubric

    2.       Relationships Capacity – Positive Relationships Rubric

    3.       Pedagogical Practice – Curriculum Cohesion Rubric

    As noted in the previous blog posting, a teacher can have some performance by being strong in one or two of the framework areas but the greatest performance will occur when all 3 are present.

     

    Aspects to note in the Design of the Teacher Performance Rubrics

    The rubrics are designed as behavioural rubrics. What they articulate is the behaviour the teacher would be displaying at different levels of development. We are still debating the naming of the differing levels (beginning, developing, capable, and exceptional) but we are clear we will have 4 levels.
     

    The way the rubrics are laid out is in a progression of building behaviour. For example, a teacher at the Beginning Level would display a minimum acceptable level in a particular focus area (e.g. being a team member, etc.). We discussed that in any professional environment there would be minimum expected behaviours that would allow for an educational environment to function. A teacher demonstrating a Developing Level of behaviour in a focus area would demonstrate both the Beginning Level as well as the Developing Level behaviour, and so on.
     

    Whilst the Beginning and Developing Levels are focussed on the individual’s capacity and behaviour, the Capable Level steps teacher behaviour into the sharing of their expertise, modelling, supporting others, etc. Exceptional Level behaviour involves the teacher leading and developing the focus areas in the school. We have deliberately designed it in this form so as to drive a team-oriented value-driven culture within the school. Research performed in a range of fields (including business management areas such as the Tribal Leadership work of David Logan et al, and Jim Collins’ Good to Great) all point to the importance of developing team-oriented value-driven cultures with organisations.
     

    The final column in the rubric articulates the working party thoughts around some specific and measurable forms of evidence that teachers could use to demonstrate that they are at a particular developmental level in the rubric. Some of these proforma don’t exist yet. The idea is that the rubrics can be used in self-evaluation performance processes and the teachers would have to consistently be gathering evidence of their performance.
     

    You will notice that two of the rubrics require two further publications: 

    • Common Practices for Powerful Learning: This is a curriculum guide that covers the school’s pedagogy focuses at the time (in this case Inquiry Learning, Differentiation, and ICT for Learning). This document would list the range of different practices with detailed examples, guides, and approaches teachers would use at differing expertise levels. This idea stemmed from a Powerful Learning Guide the Victorian Education Department in Australia has produced. 
       
    • Common Practices for Building Positive Relationships: The detail and practices of how teachers can go about building positive learning environments and relationships with students.

    The intention of the 2 publications would be to collect all the appropriate documentation that may be in a range of places to have 2 powerful reference handbooks so teachers are consistent and clear about what the school values and will be focussed upon.

     

    Next Time
     

    In Part 3 of this blog I will explore some of the thinking behind HOW the school is approaching implementing the rubrics. Also, given Rose Balan’s comment in Part 1, I will also address why we don’t include VAM, test scores, or specific student academic scores in the teacher performance framework. Finally I will explore how this performance framework relates to the body of research in other fields.
     

    Feel free to give me feedback!

     

  • Blog post
  • 8 months ago
  • Views: 604

• Principal Leadership - Priorit Principal Leadership - Priority One!

  • From: Sandi_Massey
  • Description:

    

    Principal Leadership - Priority One

    09/15/2012

    0 Comments

     
    

     

    The role of principal is not glamorous. Every hat imaginable is worn from cafeteria monitor to disciplinarian to systems manager to parent negotiator. Above all others is priority one - instructional leader. 
    
    Once this hat is placed on your head, don't remove it, at least while your in business mode. You'll need to get used to wearing at least two hats at a time; instructional leader and ARD administrator; instructional leader and hall monitor; instructional leader and teacher appraiser. Instructional leadership never stops. As long as you hold the title of "principal" you must make it your one true purpose to guide instruction. What should that look like?
    
    1. Grow Yourself in the Area of Instruction
        A. Know instruction
    Know it inside and out. If you didn't take your position out of expertise; if you haven't had the years in the classroom to build your knowledge, then find others ways to learn instruction. 
    
    Spend the bulk of your time in classrooms. Watch the most effective teachers. Make notes about what causes students to achieve while under those instructors. Visit schools similar in demographics to your own. Interview leadership concerning the same questions. Next, refer to a veteran colleague who can assist you on multiple levels. All new principals should heed this advice. Everyone, regardless of where one stands on the hierarchy, should have a mentor, an iron sharpener, in their lives. 
    
    Read. Sit at your favorite book store with a cup of coffee and read about effective instruction, rigor, development - just read. There will come a time when you can pick up your novel again. Until you develop expertise in the area of instruction, put it aside and focus your free time on growing yourself. If you aren't willing to go the extra mile, you should seriously consider leaving the field or least the principal position. 
        
        B. Know your states curriculum
    Regardless of what state you're in, there is curriculum written as a standard. Instructional leaders ensure learning in the classroom is aligned with the state curriculum.  The curriculum is written with three things in mind; content, context, and rigor. The rigor is directly associated with the verb used in the standard. If the verb says "analyze" ensure instruction is being taught at analytical levels and students are applying analytically. When conducting walk-throughs never assume teachers focus more on the standard than the textbook. An instructional leader will have the state standards on your person and refer to them while observing instruction.
    
    2. Grow Others in Instructional Practices
         A. Invest time in your leadership team
    When you walk, they walk. What you read, they read. When you do research, they do research. When you conduct staff development, they conduct it. When you visit a school, they visit a school. Whatever you learn, teach them. Plan to have them become better than who you are becoming. If you comprehend all the knowledge and hold it for yourself your legacy will be a lonely one and any success will die with you.  
      
      B. Develop your teacher leaders
    Every school has a percentage of staff who are "stand outs". They need to be challenged, If you neglect to grow them you will eventually lose them. Great teachers are most often a result of great leaders, however, occasionally they are inherited. Don't make the mistake of leaving them to their own devices in order to focus on the concerns. Take time out, even if it's once a month. Give them an hour of your time. Give them a reason to stay; a reason to want to help other teachers get better. 
    
    When observing this group, concentrate on the "exemplary" columns. Ask them to reach deeper, to think more critically, to become more accountable. Have them conduct some "practice" walk-throughs viewing teacher volunteers to begin thinking more like an administrator. You need them and they need you. An instructional culture is never a one man show - a strong team is needed to support the initiative. 
    
    3. Develop Values which are Academically Focused
       A. Instructional Culture
    There are few pieces to an instructional culture more essential than values. It's important to set up these values with your leadership team. When it comes to instructional leadership, the values need to be academically focused. Decide what you want from your students, teachers, and school community, keeping the end in mind. What should instruction look like? What should student achievement look like? How will you ensure all students learn? The key reminder is to stay focused on what is best for students.
    
        B. Systems Thinking
    Put systems in place to monitor the progress of meeting these values. Since they are instructional in nature documenting effectiveness is vital. Monitoring allows for development of systems. Without it there is no clear, defined way to establish progress.  
    
    4. Embrace Reform; Be the Reformer
         Instructional change is the most consistent trait in the business of education. You can count on change like you can count on sleeping at night. It's going to happen, even if you fight it. When it comes to reform, there's no point in hiding behind school walls hoping to be overlooked. Embrace it. Better yet, be the reformer. The best instructional leaders are change agents. They don't go with momentum, they create momentum. 
    
    Reform isn't always the right thing for every person. It inevitably comes down to philosophy; when it's aligned, like instruction, it works and is incredibly effective for everyone on the team. When philosophies don't align, there can be serious implications around every corner. A pay check isn't worth compliance. If you aren't buying in, move out. 
    
    When instructional leadership is at it's best it isn't possible for a school to fail. There are too many failing schools, which means there are too many failing leaders. Are you a highly effective instructional leader or will you become one? If not, it's time to move out. Our students deserve our best, are you providing it?
  • Blog post
  • 8 months ago
  • Views: 2903

• L2L News: September 2012 L2L News: September 2012

  • From: Meg_Simpson
  • Description:

    ASCD Leader to Leader (L2L) News is a monthly e-mail newsletter for ASCD constituent group leaders that builds capacity to better serve members, provides opportunities to promote and advocate for ASCD’s Whole Child Initiative, and engages groups through sharing and learning about best practices. To submit a news item for the L2L newsletter, send an e-mail to constituentservices@ascd.org.

    Your To-Do List: Action Items for ASCD Leaders

    • üNominate a school for the Vision in Action: The ASCD Whole Child Award by September 30. Nomination is open exclusively to ASCD leaders; e-mail wholechild@ascd.org for the nomination form and more information.
    • üVote in ASCD’s general membership election. Voting ends October 15. Make your voice heard! More information about voting is available below.
    • üRegister now for the Leadership Institute for Legislative Advocacy (LILA). This conference is an outstanding opportunity to hear from national education leaders about the latest education policy developments, network with fellow educators, and share your expertise with your federal lawmakers on Capitol Hill. More information about the institute is available below.
    • üSpeak out on sequestration. An education crisis is looming with the potential to disrupt services to 7.5 million students and threaten 90,000 educator jobs. Read more and take action on ascd.org.
    • üRegister now for ASCD Annual Conference. ASCD President Debra Hill Welcomes you to the 2013 Annual Conference & Exhibit Show in her hometown of Chicago, IL, March 16-18.

     

    Vote in ASCD’s 2012 General Membership Election

    ASCD's General Membership Election is open from September 1 through October 15, 2012. You can help determine the association's leadership by voting for President-Elect and members of the Board of Directors. Successful candidates will take office at the conclusion of ASCD's Annual Conference on March 18, 2013.

    The election is online-only. Here's how to vote online: go to www.ascd.org/vote. You will need to log in using your ASCD username, e-mail address, or member ID and password. If you are eligible to vote in this year's election, click on the Vote Now button to connect to our secure online election system. If you don't have your log-in information or password, contact the ASCD Service Center at 1-800-933-ASCD (2723) and then press 1, or send an e-mail to member@ascd.org. Candidates’ photos and biographical information are included with the online ballot and will also appear in the September issue of Education Update.

    Have questions? Not every member has voting privileges. You are ineligible to vote if your membership was unpaid as of August 16, 2012, or you hold a complimentary membership. Please contact ASCD Governance Director Becky DeRigge at bderigge@ascd.org or phone (1-800-933-2723 or 1-703-575-5601) with any questions.

     

    Register Today for ASCD’s Legislative Conference!

     

    What will the presidential election and the new Congress mean for education in 2013? How will policy decisions related to the Common Core State Standards, educator evaluation systems, and education funding affect what’s happening in your districts, schools, and classrooms? ASCD’s 2013 Leadership Institute for Legislative Advocacy (LILA) will address these and other timely topics that influence your day-to-day work as an educator. Register now for an outstanding opportunity to hear from national education leaders about the latest education policy developments, network with fellow educators, and share your expertise with your federal lawmakers on Capitol Hill.

     

    The conference, to be held January 27–29, 2013, at the Westin Georgetown Hotel in Washington, D.C., will also feature

    ·         Sessions with Capitol Hill and U.S. Department of Education insiders who will share their perspectives on the fate of the No Child Left Behind Act.

    ·         The introduction of ASCD’s 2013 Legislative Agenda, which will outline the organization’s policy goals and vision for the coming year.

    ·         A Capitol Hill boot camp featuring video vignettes that will address the dos and don’ts of conducting meetings with your legislators.

    No matter your level of education policy and advocacy expertise, LILA offers something for you. Emerging leaders new to advocacy will get easy tips to apply throughout the year. Seasoned affiliate leaders will learn how to maximize their influence and deepen their relationships with federal policymakers. Access the conference agenda and registration and travel information. Questions? Contact ASCD’s policy team at policy@ascd.org.

     

    ASCD Student Chapters: They’re Learning to Teach, Now Learning to Lead

    ASCD is proud to announce great new resources for ASCD Student Chapters, including an infographic on how to start a student chapter, a video on why ASCD student chapters are beneficial, and updated web pages for current student chapters. Also, for the first time, a student discount is available for the ASCD Fall Conference; students can access the discounted rate by selecting the student registration rate at checkout ($139 for members, $159 for non-members). Please use these resources to spread the word about ASCD Student Chapters in your community! Contact constituentservices@ascd.org if you have any questions.

     

    ASCD Emerging Leaders Sound Off on ASCD EDge

    Check out these great posts from ASCD leaders on the ASCD EDge community site. Please read, comment, and share!

    ·         Questions We All Should Ask by Steven Anderson, 2012 Emerging Leader

    ·         Five Things Principals Should Focus on First; Blunders Can Lead to Breakthroughs; Prioritizing the Work; and New Beginnings and Where to Begin by Jessica Bohn, 2012 Emerging Leader

    ·         21st Century Connected Educator by Craig Martin, 2012 Emerging Leader

    ·         Five Top Resources for Aligning Your Social Studies Curricula to the Common Core by Robert Zywicki, 2012 Emerging Leader

    ·         Not a Disadvantage by Jason Ellingson, 2012 Emerging Leader

    ·         The Good News about Giving Bad News and Is Your PLN Truly a PLN? by Fred Ende, 2012 Emerging Leader

    Also, be sure to check out 2012 Emerging Leader Amy Fowler Murphy’s first blog post Be Prepared to Let Go to Grow.

     

    Congratulations!

    • 2012 ASCD Emerging Leader Matthew Cotton gave a paper at the ISME (International Society of Music Education) on Music in Charter Schools at the 2012 World Conference in Thessaloniki, Greece this last July.
       
    • 2010ASCD Emerging Leader Ayanna Cooper recently accepted a position as a Senior Professional Development Consultant with World Class Instructional Design & Assessment (WIDA). She provides nationwide professional development to consortium members on assessing English Language Learners. Read her bio and her articles on professional development and Common Core State Standards.
      
      
    • 2012 Emerging Leader Curtis Pelham was promoted last month to the assistant principal position at Ashley River Creative Arts Elementary School Charleston, SC.
       
    • Fred Ende’s acceptance to the ASCD Emerging Leader class of 2012 was recently featured on lohud.com.
       
    • OYEA Honoree Maureen Connolly recently wrote a great article for ASCD’s Common Core newsletter, Core Connection. Read her article on the Common Core and Service Learning.
      
      
    • OYEA Honoree and Emerging Leader Marnie Hazelton was recently appointed Assistant Superintendent for Elementary Education at Roosevelt Union Free School District in New York.

    Other News

    • The Northeast ASCD Affiliate Conference themed “Learning and Leading: Transformation Matters,” takes place November 29–December 1, 2012, in Boston, Mass.
       
    • Check out ASCD Constituent Services Director Kevin Scott’s blog postsDay 1 and 9/12 on ASCD EDge, where he explores the education experience through the eyes of his children.
       
    • ASCD Constituent Services Director Walter McKenzie recently guest posted for SmartBlog on What does a 21st Century Organization Look Like?
      
      
    • The Pennsylvania ASCD Annual Conference themed “Power Up: New Perspectives” takes place November 18–20 in Hershey, Penn.

     

    OYEA Winner’s School Sustains Significant Fire Damage

    Last weekend, a three alarm fire ravaged the Hoboken Charter School, where 2007 Outstanding Young Educator Award Winner Deirdra Grode is currently serving as Principal. According to the school website, classes have been moved to a new facility while repairs are made to the severely damaged school building.

    Updates are available on the school website and Facebook. Our best wishes and support are with Deirdra and her school during this difficult time.

     

    Help Stop Sequestration!

    Members of Congress returned to their Capitol Hill offices in Washington, D.C., this week. Contact them today to help ensure that stopping sequestration—the 8.4 percent across-the-board cuts to discretionary spending—is at the top of their agendas. Unless Congress repeals sequestration, federal education spending will be cut by about $4.1 billion beginning as early as January 2013.

    In addition, ASCD's policy team wants your stories about how sequestration is affecting (or will affect) you, your schools, and your school districts. Please e-mail your stories to policy@ascd.org. We will share them with lawmakers on Capitol Hill as part of our effort to urge Congress to repeal sequestration.

    Thank you for taking the time to reach out to your legislators about this important topic.

     

    Sign Up for ASCD’s Whole Child Down Under Webinar Series

    
    This three-part series, presented by Australian educator and ASCD Director of Whole Child Programs Sean Slade, aims to further engage ASCD audiences in the work of ASCD and its Whole Child Initiative, which seeks to ensure that each child, in each school, and in each community is healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged.
    
    The Down Under webinar series* runs from late September through the end of October and will outline a whole child approach to education through the role of the principal, school improvement, and alignment of health and education and how it links to current debates in Australia regarding the National Curriculum, findings from the Gonski Report (PDF), and the value of a well-rounded education.

    Learn more and register here.* Please note the series sessions are conveniently timed for Australian residents.

     

    Something to Talk About

    • Seven Tips for Aligning Assignments to Common Core
    • Does Flipping Your Classroom Increase Homework Time?
    • Most recent blog posts on ASCD EDge®
    • Most-clicked stories from ASCD SmartBrief.

     

     

     

    Association News

    ·         ASCD Announces Additional Common Core State Standards Institutes for Fall 2012 and Winter 2013—ASCD announces additional two-day and one-day Common Core Institutes for fall 2012 and winter 2013.These new institutes are part of the association’s ongoing effort to support educators at all levels nationwide as they implement the Common Core State Standards. Read the full press release.

    • Building Assignments that Help Students Meet Standards the Focus of a New ASCD Book —ASCD has released Assignments Matter: Making the Connections That Help Students Meet Standards, written by seasoned teacher coach and curriculum design expert Eleanor Dougherty. This new professional development resource for educators is now available in e-book formats and in paperback. Read the full press release.
      
      
    • ASCD Introduces Enhancements to Premier Professional Development Tool for Educators—ASCD recently introduced version 2.0 of its award-winning PD In Focus® online professional development tool. Based on research and user feedback, the enhancements in version 2.0 help teachers and administrators better meet their personal and systemic professional development goals. Read the full press release.
      
      
    • ASCD Receives Three Green Globes from the Green Building Initiative—ASCD has been awarded three Green Globes from the Green Building Initiative. The Green Globes designation recognizes ASCD’s commitment to maintaining a sustainable building. Read the full press release.
      
      
    • ASCD Handbook Translates Child Development Research into Effective Classroom Actions—ASCD is pleased to announce the release of Understanding How Young Children Learn: Bringing the Science of Child Development to the Classroom by prominent cognitive psychology and child development expert Wendy L. Ostroff. This publication is now available in paperback and e-book formats. Read the full press release.
      
      
    • ASCD Launches Free Digital Common Core Implementation Tool, Announces Fall Common Core Webinar Series—ASCD introduced the new, free EduCore™ digital tool for educators implementing the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in both mathematics and literacy. Funded by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the EduCore tool is a repository of evidence-based strategies, videos, and supporting documents that help educators transition to the CCSS. Read the full press release.
      
      
    • International Education Association Announces Free Webinars for Australian Educators—ASCD announced a free webinar series for Australian educators—the Whole Child Down Under Webinar Series. The aim of the series is to further engage Australian audiences in the work of ASCD and the Whole Child Initiative, which aims to ensure that each child, in each school, and in each community is healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged. Read the full press release.
      
      
    • ASCD Launches Free Online Needs Assessment and School Improvement Tool—ASCD has unveiled the free online ASCD School Improvement Tool, which is based on a whole child approach to education. Read the full press release.

     

  • Blog post
  • 8 months ago
  • Views: 836