T.C. Roekle's Education Blog

Using Those iPods to Grow Leadership Skills: School District Leaders Share Expertise In New Podcast For Administrators

2008-08-13T12:54:00.001-04:00

A new web site sponsored by McGraw-Hill Education’s Urban Advisory Resource offers advice on improving schools from superintendents and other education leaders across the country in an easily accessible format. The District Leader’s Podcast features interviews each week with various experts from the front lines of education. School leaders can download these Podcasts to a portable media player for listening on the go. Examples of the topics covered include:

• Making the Tough Decisions,
• Improving Student Performance,
• Urban Education, and
• Trends in Education and Leadership.

The site is robust in content and diversified in leadership ideas. It will give you a reason to use your iPod to explore new thinking and learn from administrators in the field. The site will walk you through “How it works” and “How to get started.”
"We know from firsthand experience that one of the best ways to improve education is to share ideas about what works best—and what doesn’t. We are excited about the possibilities ahead, thanks to this resource," said Arthur Griffin, vice president of the Urban Advisory Resource.

www.districtleaderspodcast.org

Ask Yourself:

Could I benefit from powerful district leaders who are willing to share proven strategies and ideas?

Am I ready to venture into learning through Podcasts?

“A New Kind of University: iTunes U Grows as Content Rich Resource for K-12 Community”

2008-07-07T16:32:00.002-04:00

The State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA) announced July 2nd the availability of a wealth of free content for K-12 educators on Apple's iTunes U. Arizona, Florida, Maine, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Utah, are now sharing resources not only for K-12 educators in their own states, but for teachers around the world.

SETDA, is the principal association for state and district directors of technology, and provides professional development and leadership for effective use of technology in education.

"This comprehensive collection of quality digital content offers teachers and students a single location to access resources on topics from Florida history to the Navajo language to nano technologies." said Dr. Mary Ann Wolf, SETDA's Executive Director. "Teachers can now access these resources in real-time to support teaching and learning. The new K-12 resources on iTunes U address the critical need to engage students through technology-based resources in the core curriculum areas."

Being a Michigan educator for over 30 years, of course I went directly to the Michigan resources. Two areas that caught my eye were the Saturday Morning Physics podcast from the University of Michigan (I have always been fascinated with Physics) and the Free is Good link with terrific resources for the classroom teacher. The moderator took me to websites and demonstrated how to design an original rubric on the Rubric Maker, and how to use the Graphic Organizer Maker. Both have editable content for subject matter from primary to secondary levels. It was as if I was taking an individual lesson on developing classroom resources. I think the writing rubric I created would be very effective as a teacher evaluation and an aide for sixth grade students to evaluate their own work as they moves through the process. I had fun.

Give it a try.
iTunes U is located in an area of the iTunes Store dedicated to providing free education content. iTunes, a free software download for Mac or PC, is required. The collection is designed for use in elementary, middle- and high-school. http://www.apple.com/itunesu

Other new instructional resources for you to check out on the web:

1.) NBC News launched free online learning community
for teenagers.

http://www.icue.com

It is a collaborative learning Community for students ages 13 and up that incorporates gaming, discussion, and video resources in a safe, online environment. Created by NBC Learn, the educational arm of NBC News.

2.) Computer simulation may help young children learn conflict-resolution skills.

http://www.curriki.org/xwiki/bin/view/

The computer game, called Cool School: Where Peace Rules, features animated school characters in situations that ask children ages 5-7 to select an action for resolving a potential conflict.

3.) Free online games to reinforce math and language skills.

http://www.arcademicskillbuilders.com

Arcademic Skill Builders is a nonprofit web site that features
online educational games offering a new approach
to learning basic math, language arts, vocabulary, and
thinking skills… Inspired by arcade games

Ask Yourself:
• Can I add more pizzazz to my lessons with innovative websites?
• Could I pass this on to colleagues who love this sort of stuff?
• Who could I team with to design a few lessons for the fall?

“Giving Virtual and On-Line Schools The Respect They Deserve”

2008-06-27T10:07:00.000-04:00

Earlier this month I had the pleasure of being the opening speaker for a two-day conference for the Buckeye On-Line School for Success in Ohio. This public school, serving students from 77 of the 88 counties in Ohio, could be a “poster child”, so to speak, for effective distance learning. Opening in the fall of 2005, the school started with several hundred students in grades K-12, and in 2008 expects to educate nearly two thousand students. Randy Calhoun School Director, and remarkable Instructional Leader, is the “dynamo” that told me his staff … “will be the best group of employees you will ever meet”. And, this proud, confident and knowledgeable group proved him right.

BOSS, as most stakeholders refer to it, offers a variety of learning choices from self-paced curriculum options, to a more ‘hands on’ approach through Virtual Classrooms. Using state of the art technology, students are immersed in a real-time classroom setting with both teachers and their peers. BOSS believes this safe and structured learning environment provides students with many opportunities for assistance in weak areas while, at the same time, gives them opportunities for in-depth study and enrichment in areas of strength.

Here are two examples of unique opportunities this public school gives:

Special Education students are never identified to their peers. As special education students participate in their live virtual classes, a certified special education teacher (head set on) is in class with them, but never seen by classmates. They are able to get instant help with issues or content at the moment they need it or, as often the case, they stay connected for review after class. I think this is a brilliant and caring idea.

My second example is a nineteen-year-old Cleveland girl of who dreamed of earning her High School Diploma. As always, staff from the school drove to interview and enroll the eager pregnant girl, this time to Cleveland. And after seeing her, hoped she would stick it out. Once enrolled, she began her classes but the baby came very early and she had to take time off from her dream.
Teachers were thrilled when she returned very quickly to her studies after the birth of the baby, knowing how hard it must be. But her hardships were just beginning. Several weeks after her return, her father died suddenly, which set her back once again. And, unbelievably only weeks later her fiancé (father of her child) was shot and killed.

I believe her dream would have ended here if it weren’t for the caring staff that continued to encourage her, and the technology that allowed her the freedom to work when her baby slept. Unbelievably, she returned to her studies once again, but could not make the timeline for the three-day state tests. Here is where the remarkable staff at BOSS stepped up to make it happen. They received permission from the State of Ohio to administrate the tests to her two weeks later. They drove to Cleveland once again and proctored the tests, then sat back to wait for the results. This strong, and hardworking student passed every test well above minimum competency.

But the story does not end here. The brave student did not have the money to attend her graduation ceremony so the staff chipped in for the hotel room, for her and her mother. And with an extra ordinary act of giving, members drove, for the third time, to Cleveland and brought her to “live her dream”. Through tears, everyone experienced the absolute thrill of her crossing the stage and receiving her diploma.

Visit Buckeye On-Line School for Success at:
www.go2boss.com
Check out their summer reading program with live virtual readers.

Ask Yourself:

• Could our school have made this possible?
• Do I believe students’ will overcome anything to succeed?
• How can I make sure every student who has this dream lives it?
• Could technology help us achieve these goals?
• Do I believe virtual and on-line classes can be as successful, or more successful then my own?

“Which Came First, the Writer or the Blogger?”

2008-05-09T14:45:00.001-04:00

In an article entitled “Blogging helps encourage teen writing”, eSchool News reported on an April 24, 2008 survey conducted by the Pew Internet and American Life Project with support from the College Board and its National Commission on Writing. The report explores the links between the formal writing that teens do for school and the informal, electronic communication they exchange through email and text messaging. It revealed that student bloggers are more prolific and appreciate the value of writing more that their peers.

http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/top-news/?i=53663

But which came first? Do natural writers blog more or do teen bloggers become natural writers? But then again… who cares? As educators we know the ability to write well is an important skill.

The survey results showed, teens that communicate frequently with their friends, and those who own more technology tools such as computers or cell phones, do not write more often for school or for themselves than less communicative and less gadget-rich teens. Teen bloggers, however, write more frequently both online and offline, the study reports ”Forty-seven percent of teen bloggers write outside of school for personal reasons several times a week or more, compared with 33 percent of teens without blogs. Sixty-five percent of teen bloggers believe that writing is essential to later success in life; 53 percent of non-bloggers say the same thing”.   

According to the article: “Teens say they're more motivated to write when they can choose topics that are relevant to their lives and interests, and they report greater enjoyment of school writing when they have the chance to write creatively. Teens also report that writing for an audience motivates them to write well and more frequently--and blogs are one way of providing this type of audience.”

Bradley A. Hammer, who teaches in Duke University's writing program, says the kind of writing students do on blogs and other digital formats actually can be better than the writing style they learn in school, because it is better suited to true intellectual pursuit than SAT-style writing.”   "In real ways, blogging and other forms of virtual debate actually foster the very types of intellectual exchange, analysis, and argumentative writing that universities value, he wrote in an op-ed piece last August”.

My take on this:

If we were looking to design ways to encourage written intellectual debate among learners (and we are all learners), maybe personal blogging is the place to look for that design. It may be an opportunity to create excited, inquisitive and confident writers, eager to participate in even greater debates for their future and ours.

Ask Yourself:

Would my students benefit from dialogue or debate on the content I teach?

Would I be happy to see my students writing with thoughtful reflection of ideas or information?

Could a personal blog of my own add to my professional growth? (Side Note: I know it has added to mine.)

“Keep the Faith”: Some Compensation is Delayed for Decades

2008-04-16T14:11:00.002-04:00

Choosing education as a career takes an enormous “act of faith”. Faith in our ability to affect students in a positive way. Faith that we will make a difference. Faith we will be compensated, not only with money, but also with a knowing we contributed to our students’ lives. But as educators, some of our compensation can be delayed for decades.

While being introduced by the superintendent, to speak to a large group of building level leadership teams, I noticed an envelope labeled “My Hero” had been placed on my computer keyboard. Curious, I opened it, while knowing I had only a few minutes before I was to begin speaking.

Here is what I read as tears streamed down my face and the audience and the superintendent wondered what they had gotten into when hiring this speaker.

Dear Mrs. Roekle,
Look around the room. Can you find me? It’s been 30 years since I was in your 1st grade class at Patterson Elementary. You have been such an inspiration in my life. I knew when I left first grade that I wanted to be a teacher, just like you. I’m glad to see that you are still inspiring people today. I credit you for teaching me how to care for children and love them. What an impression you made on me, because you made me feel special. Thanks for the education that will last a lifetime.

Your admiring former student,

Lori Bowling Burack

Along with Lori’s note was the original graduation card I had sent her 11 years after having her in my first grade classroom, and there I was, holding this card 20 years after I mailed it. (I had a practice of sending a graduation card to every student whom I taught or to whom I was principal, no matter what grade.) The cards always consisted of their school picture from our time together, and a note telling them how proud I was of them. Well… Lori Burack had kept the card throughout her life, and as she explained later: through two husbands, four children, and five household moves. She explicitly told me I was not to keep it… she wanted it back.

As you might imagine, I had no problem spotting Lori in the auditorium, she had not changed in my eyes in 30 years. Same beautiful brown eyes, same dark hair, same energy, and oh yes, the same extraordinary smile I remember beaming from her desk in the second row.

I tell this story to remind you to “keep the faith”. Because each of us have, or will have, students who treasure and appreciate the gifts we give. YOU have a Lori Burack out there who would love to thank you personally for the “education that will last a lifetime”, as she wrote in her note. I was just lucky enough to bump into one of mine. It was worth the wait!

“Moving From an ‘Either/Or World’ to a ‘Both/And World”

2008-04-03T10:59:00.004-04:00

In February I gave a keynote address in the “Windy City” to an audience of 2,000 at the Illinois NCLB Conference. I titled my speech "Schools That Thrive", which fit well with the conference focus on rethinking, reviewing, reshaping and renewing efforts to improve No Child Left Behind and to “lift the bar” on all student learning.

I spoke about thinking in new ways and the importance of moving from an “Either/Or World” to a “Both/And” World”. “Do you believe your world will ever be entirely paperless?” I asked the audience. Very few hands went up. It may be easy to see that our world will consist of both paper and digital images.

Often you may find yourself taking sides on issues or ideas, which limits other thinking. As educators our goal is to expand our thinking and our students thinking. There are several examples of “Both/And” thinking that are alive and well in the field. The debate about Whole Language raged for years, but creative, successful, and evolved thinkers know it is not either Whole Language or Phonics, it requires both strategies to produce successful readers. Differentiated instruction is another perfect example of a successful “Both/And” strategy that accelerates learning for most students.

The “Either/Or” debate is often heated when it comes to educational technology. It seems as if people believe it is either the greatest educational tool since sliced bread or they believe it is wasting taxpayer’s money. Here is where the creative thinkers, who live by the “Both/And” philosophy for powerful instructional strategy (and search all ways to improve learning), will serve themselves and their students well.

I believe this philosophy has come of age. And, just by coincidence Andrew A Zucker, wrote an article “Smart Thinking About Educational Technology” in the April 2, 2008 issue of Education Week, addressing simplistic thinking as it applies to technology in schools. He believes that advocates often rely on weak arguments such as “ students are digital natives, so we should use more technology” yet critics may warn against excessive hype about the value of computers.

Zucker writes: “It is time to move away from simplistic “either-or” thinking about computers in schools. Instead, we need to focus on key educational goals and how computers and other digital tools can help us achieve them.” Within the article he describes his key goals and gives clear examples of them. You may find his thoughts and ideas helpful in your own technology integration.

http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2008/04/02/31zucker_ep.h27.html

I believe there are compelling reasons not to take sides in a debate about educational technology. But our organizations may have set us up for it. Zucker tells of an MIT professor who studies business investments in technology. He found that for every dollar large successful companies spent on hardware, $3 was spent on software, and $16 on organizational capital such as retraining workers and redesigning practices in the workplace. Here may be the place to start.

Many of the folks in Chicago came to believe that new knowledge of technology and its uses in our classrooms could move many teachers, administrators, and board members from an “Either/Or World” to a “Both/And World”.

Ask Yourself:
Do you believe your world will be paperless?

Have you noticed how quickly on-line schools, computer-based testing, and other powerful innovations are spreading, and how significant they are?

Do you need training in bridging time and distance for your students?

Do you need training to leverage the exponential increases in computer power?

The “eBook” is Launched!

2008-03-20T11:06:00.002-04:00

I may or may not have mentioned that I have been co-authoring an ebook for the past three years. Wow, yes it has been that long. The title is Designing Thriving Schools, Using Proven Strategies and Technologies to Accelerate Learning. The book, written with Daniel Burrus one of the worlds leading business strategists and technology forecasters, was launched in November. The purpose of the ebook is to bring a powerful and empowering method of thinking, learning and planning to a broad audience in hopes that the Designing Thriving Schools Process will become an invaluable resource, as each of us continues in our quest to make every school a thriving school.

The forty-five strategies for highly effective educators contained in the book, along with forty-one enabling technologies to support them, will be the topic of many of my blog entries in the future. I am proud to share these best practice and research based strategies and tools with you.

Although they are not arranged in any particular order, in general they can be categorized into one of two groups:
Organizational Strategies, which address various facets of the organizational system, its culture, and how it can effectively support learning.
Teaching and Learning Strategies, which directly address improving student achievement and professional performance or practice.

I will begin with a strategy that is painted with a broad brush to stimulate ideas for personal or professional planning.

Visualize your ideal future.

Do you believe that you have the power to shape your future and the future of your school?

How you view the future shapes how you act in the present, and how you act in the present shapes your future. Or, as we like to paraphrase it:

“Your Futureview® determines the future you.”

The power of this simple maxim is illustrated in the following account of a conversation with two middle school students in Washington D.C:

I met Joshua and Ryan a few years ago on a visit to their school in a burned-out, boarded-up zone of abandoned shops and squalid apartment buildings. The school building was a wreck with a rusty chain link fence around it, tripled locked security doors, metal detectors and guards at every entrance.

My questions to them were typical of the kind of things most adults ask kids at that age. “What do you want to do when you grow up? How do you view your future?”

I was shocked by their answers. Both boys told me that they didn’t expect to live long enough to see their sixteenth birthday. They told me what their life was like outside of school – about their friends and relatives who had died in shootings, from drug overdoses, and of HIV/AIDS. As you would expect, the two boys had a long history of truancy, discipline problems, and academic failure.

Ryan and Joshua saw their future as a continuation of the present – more shootings, more drugs, more of what they had – and made decisions based on these assumptions that actually helped create the grim and awful scenario. Math? Who cares? Reading? What’s the point? Safe sex? Why bother?

Do you think their future will be less than it could have been had they had a different view of it? The answer is as obvious as it is tragic.

Could your view of your future be more than it is?

As administrators, teachers, staff members, students, parents and community stakeholders, our Futureview is the single most powerful driving force in our arsenal for effecting educational change. Take time to look to the visible future® and free your imagination to go beyond what seems possible for you and your school at this moment in time.

Look outside the field of education for global trends, patterns, and new technologies that have changed or will change education as we know it.

Think about what you want for your future and the future of your students.

Visualize what you want to do or create. CAN YOU SEE IT?

Take action:
Much of the future is there for use to see if we take the time to look. Once a week, take a half-hour out of your schedule to “unplug” – from the computer, the phone, and the people in your life – and look to your visible future. Because the more you look the more you see!

Suggested Reading:
Burrus, D., (1993). Technotrends: How to use technology to go beyond your competition. New York: Harper Business.
Enriquez, J. (2001). As the future catches you. New York: Crown Business.

“We Are The Ones We Have Been Waiting For”

2008-03-05T10:57:00.002-05:00

Earlier this month I gave a keynote address at the NCLB Illinois State Conference in Chicago. I honored the work of teachers, administrators and parents who are excited and passionate about finding new ways to do the important work of preparing our kids for their future.

I asked the audience if they believed education would change over the next ten years. The response was an overwhelming YES. Then I asked if they believed it would change if we did anything about it or not… once again a resounding YES. Then I told them, “It is imperative change comes from the inside of education, where knowledge of the learner drives the decision-making process, not a political agenda or election platform”. I believe each of us can participate in reforming the No Child Left Behind legislation in our own way. Change comes one student at a time, one lesson at a time, and one decision at a time. I challenged them to find ways to influence the reauthorization of NCLB as a powerful group and as individuals. This is our time, and we can make a difference. We, as educators, have the knowledge, experience and wisdom to improve our educational system. “We are the one we have been waiting for”.

I proposed several Effective Design Strategies:

Look to the Visible Future and ask, What are we missing? Think back and look forward. Think back on what you know but always look forward to possibilities for positive change.

Act on Changes that are Affecting your Future by identifying trends that are affecting you today and will effect you tomorrow. “It is easier to ride a horse in the direction it is going.”

Learn to Fail Fast but Don’t Fail to Learn because no one knows all the answers. Innovation requires risk to produce success. The key is to “fail forward” by learning from our mistakes.

Adopt the Philosophy of Organized Abandonment because refusing to accept what is not working can consume time and energy from other successful endeavors. “If the horse is dead, get off”.

I challenge all of us to take this unique opportunity to help with the reauthorization of NCLB anyway we can.

Ask Yourself:

How can I as an individual affect change in NCLB legislation?

How can we as a school influence writers of this legislation?

Do I belong to any education or citizen groups whom I could influence to add their voice to produce change?

Do I believe education will change wither I do anything about or not?

Websites you may want to visit:

No Child Left Behind - ED.gov
Reauthorization of No Child Left Behind · See the administration's proposals for reauthorizing No Child Left Behind. Find fact sheets, videos of NCLB ...
www.ed.gov/nclb/landing.jhtml

No Child Left Behind Reauthorization
Secretary Spellings said that legislation proposed by Senator Lamar ... President Bush spoke about the reauthorization of No Child Left Behind …
www.ed.gov/nclb/overview/intro/reauth/index.html

An Unlikely Partnership Left Behind - washingtonpost.com
Nov 5, 2007 ... Ten months later, the optimism has vanished and the campaign to reauthorize the No Child Left Behind education law has bogged down. ...
www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/ content/article/2007/11/04/AR2007110401450.html

“Make Politics Personal for Students”

2008-01-30T11:22:00.000-05:00

Do your students recognize the government’s role in decisions about the standardized tests they take, their recruitment to the military, and the future of Social Security for themselves and their parents?

Helping students understand the power that election outcomes have on their present or future lives, and the lives of their family, can help engage them in the election process. When students recognized the impact of laws and lawmakers on their personal lives, I believe they would pay more attention to all elections. And, once they “get it” the political process could serve them throughout their lives.

In her article, “Schools urging students to learn about major issues and participate in elections: Primary election is setting the stage for civics lessons”, Akilah Johnson of the South Florida Sun-Sentinal, relates how “Thousands of South Florida teens and 'tweens are getting their first taste of the electoral process not through cyber campaigns or virtual debates, but in actual classrooms and real-world polling places”. Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)

She describes how students from West Palm Beach to Pembroke Pines have studied the roles of race and gender in politics, voter registration in their state, caucuses, primaries and political parties in civics lessons in the advent of Tuesday's primary election and tax referendum in Florida.   

"You've got to find your voice. You've got to make people hear you," said Jay Lowe, an American history teacher at Bak Middle School of the Arts in West Palm Beach. "That's my thing. Whoever has the biggest microphone in this country gets the attention."
 
Lowe said his eighth-grade students have honed in on three issues that could affect their lives: the war in Iraq, education and Social Security.  "Their first thing was: 'Well, I'm 13 years old. I don't care,'" he said. But after a couple of lessons about the Army's recruitment struggles, the draft and the politics behind the state's dreaded, high-stakes FCAT, his students started paying attention to the candidates and their issues in preparation for a mock election which coincides with the Florida primary.   Through its “Kids Voting Broward” program more than 5,000 students have cast votes for presidential candidates, mayors and the property tax amendment.

Related Articles:

“Thompson Sets Social Security View”, Wall Street Journal
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119466143891488863.html?mod=dist_smartbrief

“Without Medicare fixes, Social Security is sunk”, The Seattle Times
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2003964413_burns21.html

Ask Yourself:

Would our students be more interested in the political process if we connected it to their personal lives?

What issues or candidates would spark our student interest?

How could we use upcoming elections to increase learning?

How could we encourage students to have a voice in their community?

History is a Perfect Fit and the Primary Resource for Curriculum at U.S. History Schools

2008-01-14T14:25:00.000-05:00

Joelle Chevrier, a student at Spanish River High School, found a spark to ignite her passion for learning. “I’m learning a lot more stuff about [historical events] than I ever knew existed”, she said during a break from a recent Saturday-morning economics lecture on the role of cotton in the economy of the antebellum South.

Yes, I did say Saturday-morning lecture.

I don’t know about you, but the weaving of content with the social context of a students life just seems a GREAT way to pump them up for learning that makes a difference in their lives and the lives of others… and a “bonus”… they will remember what they learned for a long time, if not forever.

“At a time when many social studies educators are bemoaning the dwindling focus on the social sciences as schools focus on reading/language arts and mathematics—the subjects tested annually under the federal No Child Left Behind Act—as well as science and technology, a small but expanding network of schools is putting U.S. history at the centerpiece of the curriculum”, says Education Week writer Kathleen Kennedy Manzo in her January 8th article, Let History Reign.

http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2008/01/09/17history.h27.html

Manzo was reporting on U.S. History Schools, a network of 40 schools and 21 affiliate schools presents a rigorous, college-preparatory curriculum with expanded offerings in American history. Its sponsor, the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American Studies in New York City, provides financial support, historical documents and resources, and academic support from history scholars and experts.

Creative teachers make it happen:

Teachers are enjoying their participation, according to Brett Burkey, an economics teacher and the chairman of the Spanish River history department. “I incorporate so much more American history into my economics classes now,” he said. “It’s added a significant dimension to what I do.”

Bettina Hoffman, an English teacher committed to the process, designed an advanced-rhetoric course in which English students pick apart famous speeches in history and analyze the purpose and effectiveness of each. When the class watched news footage of Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney, a Mormon, discussing his own religious beliefs recently, “the students were jumping out of their seats to talk about it and the similarities with President Kennedy,” Ms. Hoffman said.

Other impressive integration came from a dance teacher who infused the subject into her classes, a music teacher who enhances the jazz-studies program with important events from our History, and a theater department who invited professional actors to the school to act out scenes from state history.

Ask Yourself:

Is History the natural “fit” for engaging students in thinking about how our society evolved?

Would connecting historical content to the every day lives of our students increase learning?

Would comparing old History texts with newer ones help students see change over time?

(When I was Assistant Superintendent, I asked my Social Studies teachers to try this exercise when we adopted new texts after nine years, and they said students “got it”. Many teachers continued to use the exercise every year.)

Happy New Year To All Educators Effecting Lives of Learners of Any Age

2008-01-03T13:15:00.000-05:00

I thought you would enjoy the “Quotes Educators Shared Most” in the 2007 School Year
(from ASCD Smart Brief )

“A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worthwhile."

--Herm Albright, writer

“When you step into a turnaround situation, you can safely assume four things: morale is low; fear is high; the good people are halfway out the door; and the slackers are hiding."

--Nina Disesa, as chairwoman of McCann-Erickson Worldwide

“If toast always lands butter-side down, and cats always land on their feet, what happens if you strap toast on the back of a cat and drop it?"

--Steven Wright, comedian, actor

“The three great essentials to achieve anything worth while are, first, hard work; second, stick-to-itiveness; third, common sense."

--Thomas Edison, inventor and businessman

“One of the hardest tasks of leadership is understanding that you are not what you are, but what you're perceived to be by others."

--Edward L. Flom, CEO of Florida Steel

“Do what you feel in your heart to be right -- for you'll be criticized anyway. You'll be damned if you do, and damned if you don't."

--Eleanor Roosevelt, former first lady and American political leader

“The statistics on sanity are that one out of every four Americans is suffering from some form of mental illness. Think of your three best friends. If they're OK, then it's you."

--Rita Mae Brown, writer and activist

“People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; never throw out anyone."

--Audrey Hepburn, Academy Award-winning actress, humanitarian

“Rule No. 1: Use your own good judgment in all situations. There will be no additional rules."

--Bruce, Jim and John Nordstrom, co-presidents of Nordstrom department store, in the employee handbook

I Can’t Get Enough of Those ‘Top Ten’ Lists

2007-12-11T12:44:00.000-05:00

I think I am addicted to reading “Top Ten Lists” and “The Best of …. Lists”, (type in any year you wish). I find at the end of the year I look forward to watching them roll off the presses, hit the newsstand and attract my attention. This goes for anything from Newsweek to Popular Mechanics. Education “Best of” lists are no exception, and I just discovered ASCD’s “Best of 2007” list of articles, studies and reports and want to pass them on to you.

The Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development has been a treasured membership of mind for over two decades. As a classroom teacher interested in accelerating student learning, as a principal wanting to improve my instructional leadership skills, and as an assistant superintendent with the full responsibility of district Curriculum and Instruction, ASCD provided me with resources, ideas, and colleagues around the world to help me do a better job. I value their thinking and believe you will too.

Below is the “Best of 2007” list compiled by Susan Rush, ASCD SmartBrief Lead Editor. This top ten list touches on topics that hit very close to home like staph infections in our schools, effective classroom instruction for the young adolescent and elementary learner, and setting national standards. You may be able take some time over the holidays to peruse these ideas.

Top Ten List of Topics and Web Access:

1. Teacher's songs help second-graders learn math

2. Study: Oral reading tests may result in inappropriate placements

3. Report: Focus on children, not testing

4. Study: Too much reading, math in elementary classrooms

5. Drug-resistant staph infections hit some U.S. schools

6. Column: Newsweek's top schools offer rigorous education

7. Studies: Homework value uncertain; little change in dropout rate

8. The challenge of educating young adolescents

9. Study: Elementary school a better fit for sixth graders

10. Study: Some top states set standards low

Ask Yourself:

Do I have a “Top Ten” or “Best of …” list I can share with my colleagues?

What are the best ideas I learned this year to improve my teaching?

What are the best ideas I learned this year to improve student learning?

And Most Importantly: Can I find a way to “pay it forward”?

Does Every Minute Really Count?

2007-11-30T12:35:00.000-05:00

School systems across the country are watching Massachusetts… the first state to adopt and fund longer days in multiple districts, reported the Boston Globe on November 30th (Tracy Jan, staff writer).

Ten Massachusetts public schools embarked on an experiment last fall that lengthen the school day by at least 25 percent, giving students extra doses of reading, writing, and math, and let teachers come up with creative ways to reinforce their lessons.

The state has spent approximately $1,300 per student, with a total cost of nearly $20 million to implement the program, which has grown to 18 schools in eight districts. Most are located in low-income, low-performing, urban schools. Thirty-three schools in 16 districts hope to convert to longer days in fall 2008. And more than 100 schools, including those in suburbs such as Andover and Winthrop, are in the pipeline for lengthening their days in the next two years.

And it seems to be doing exactly what teachers, principals and legislators hoped it would…

The data, shows longer days boosted students' MCAS scores in math, English, and science across all grade levels, according to a report to be presented at a national conference in Boston on expanded learning time. Students outpaced the state in increasing the percentage of students scoring in the two highest MCAS categories.
Writer Tracy Jan describes how schools typically converted from a six-hour day – “which some have written off as an antiquated schedule designed to meet the needs of farms and factories” - to an eight- or nine-hour day.

Read complete article:
“Longer school day appears to boost MCAS scores”
http://www.boston.com/news/education/k_12/mcas/articles/2007/11/30/longer_school_day_appears_to_boost_mcas_scores/

Related Article: “Saved by a (Later) Bell”
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/magazine/articles/2007/04/29/saved_by_the_later_bell/

Ask Yourself:
Is our school day long enough?

Turns Out “Talking With Your Hands” Really Does Pay Off

2007-11-07T10:47:00.000-05:00

Science Daily article Gesturing Helps Grade School Children Solve Math Problems (November 5, 2007) reported on a study in which psychologists at the University of Chicago discovered that gesturing can help kids add new strategies to their mathematical repertoires.

Students told to gesture are four times more likely to correctly express new ways to solve a math problem, according to the study of third- and fourth-graders by researchers. Children told to gesture who then received a lesson were able to solve 1.5 times more problems correctly than those told not to gesture. What's more, during future learning, these students were more likely to succeed on similar math problems.

Read more at:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071104191551.htm

It makes sense to me that gesturing may “prime kids brains” to learn more math just as many kinesthetic actions help our brain construct and organize information. I can remember a simple exercise I used with third graders to remember the 5 parts of a letter. It went like this:

Heading: touch top of your head with your hand
Greeting: touch your mouth with your hand
Body: rub your tummy as if something tastes good
Closing: clap your hands together real loud
Signature: write your name quickly in the air
(Repeat as fast as you can)

Many classroom veterans have discovered hundreds of these, what I might call, “kinesthetic memory pegs” on which thousands of us still hang interesting bits of learning. Wouldn’t it be great to collect a few dozen to add to our repertoire?

Ask Yourself:

Does is make sense to me that body movement can improve retention or problem solving?

Could I find out more about how the brain learns through movement?

Do I feel comfortable asking trusted colleagues for cleaver ideas that could be called “kinesthetic memory pegs” to add to my repertoire?

Where can I learn more?

Related Readings:

Hand Gestures Dramatically Improve Learning (Science Daily July 28, 2007)
Kids asked to physically gesture at math problems are nearly three times more likely than non-gesturers to remember what they've learned. In the journal Cognition, a University of Rochester scientist suggests it's possible to help children learn difficult concepts by providing gestures as an additional and potent avenue for taking in information.

Teaching Math Two Ways At The Same Time Boosts Learning (Science Daily February. 23, 2005) Researchers at the University of Chicago have come up with a technique for teachers to use that increases student understanding of mathematics: explain how to solve a problem in one way, and also provide an alternative approach through gesture.

I.D. Risk Factors Early!

2007-10-24T11:58:00.000-04:00

Over the next several blog entries I will be sharing strategies from the book Designing Thriving Schools, authored by Daniel Burrus and myself. It was launched, as an eBook, on October 20, 2007 and you can find it on my website at DesigningThrivingSchools.com. DTS brings our empowering method of thinking, learning and planning to educators, with 45 strategies and more than 40 technology tools that have the power to accelerate learning and improve professional performance at every level. It is available for purchase on the homepage of my site.

Strategy # 15 from DTS

Have you watched students move from grade to grade, but never catch up?

As some students progress through the primary grades, their inability to make meaning or learn new concepts becomes more apparent. By then however, the child may have lost precious years of learning. The earlier we identify risk factors for students, and implement strategies to accelerate learning, the greater their chances for success.

Early childhood education is critical. It is far better to prevent failure in the first place than to remediate later. The consequences of failing to learn to read in the early grades are severe. As early as the end of first grade, students who have trouble reading begin to view school as punishing and demeaning. (Slavin, 1993) Effective early intervention programs help students maintain their enthusiasm, motivation and self-confidence. But, without intervention, failure to read in the early grades will almost assuredly guarantee failure in later schooling.

But, some students become “at risk” later in their school career. Others may come in and out of risk because of changing factors or personal issues. These students are often harder to spot, so staff must be able to recognize the warning signs.

The term “at risk” does not imply that the problem is with the learner.

Risk factors include anything and everything that is blocking learning. Today, the term takes on a broad connotation, as more and more children – from all classes and income levels – are “at risk” not only from school failure but from outside forces. Tragically, factors outside of school such as instability in families, abuse, neighborhood violence, homelessness, or the death of a loved one affect many children. Older students are increasingly drawn away from school by the magnetism and danger of the streets. Helping these students internalize and visualize being part of a classroom community can be an essential factor in making them feel like they belong.

Yes, many students need special attention – and fast. You can never do third grade again for the first time. Technologies like Data Warehousing can be of tremendous help in quickly identifying factors such as poor attendance, tardiness, falling grades, low test scores, and even students dropping out of activities. A comprehensive staff development program that includes training on how to recognize warning signs and initiate intervention will increase the chances for success. And don’t underestimate the willingness of parents to intervene and help their kids or support teacher policies.

Looking At the Research:

Educational Leadership highlights this topic in their October 2007 edition: “Early Intervention at Every Age”. They look at interventions that research and experience are validating as effective ways to reach out not just to students on the verge of crisis but also the many students who need an extra nudge to stay on the path toward success. The articles look at crucial crossroads in students’ lives and times when interventions can have an incredible payoff.

Take a look at what leaders in the field are saying:

“Changing the Odds”: by Susan B. Neuman How do we improve the academic prospects of the poor?

“Giving Interventions a Head Start”: A Conversation with Edward Zigler, by Deborah Perkins-Gough The founder of Head Start talks about its early days and its long-term potential.

“The Perils and Promise on Praise” by Carol S. Dweck Praising students' effort is more effective than praising inherent intelligence.

“Perspectives / Interventions That Work”, by Marge Scherer

Ask yourself:

Do we know our students well enough to know when they are “at risk?”

Can we really have early intervention at every age?

Could our staff benefit from professional development on identifying risk factors and implementing interventions?

Take action:

Review the “at risk” factors you currently use to assess whether a student is in need of intervention. What additional information would be helpful?

“What, We have to take the test again?” Michigan Students Ask

2007-10-15T11:05:00.000-04:00

“What, We have to spend hundred of thousands of dollars?” State Asks

There are lots of “unhappy campers” in fifth and sixth grade in Michigan where thousands of students must retake Michigan's standardized writing test after a community newspaper published two of the writing topics without realizing the implications. "The Department of Education had no choice but to make this extraordinary decision," said Department of Education spokesman Martin Ackley. "We have to maintain the integrity of the test, and we have to ensure fairness for every student in Michigan."

Jennifer Mrozowski writer for the The Detroit News in her article “MEAP Leak Forces Retest for Thousands of Students” of October 12, 2007, reported “State officials don't know how many of the more than 250,000 fifth- and sixth-graders in Michigan have already taken the test, but all will be given the new writing section.

Ackley said development and distribution of a new writing section could cost the state hundreds of thousands of dollars. But, the decision to retest students was made after the department learned a reporter was allowed into Jackson Public Schools during the administration of the test, a violation of Michigan's testing ethics.

"It's not like we were going to find out the answers," Brooke Nemens, 10, a sixth-grader at L'Anse Creuse Middle School -- North, said after she heard the news. "I don't even read the newspaper." Brooke, who took the test earlier this week, reported it was easy but she doesn't want to take it again.

Brenda Nemens, Brooke’s mother, said she would retake the test, "I think they should have to do that for the security of the answer," she said. "But they put way too much emphasis on the MEAPs. My kids get stressed out."

Dearborn Schools Superintendent John Artis said he “hopes the Jackson paper will consider paying for the costs of the "fiasco." Educators who would engage in a similar breach of security could have charges brought against them,” he said.

Ask Yourself:

Does your school put “too much emphasis state testing?

Do you think students in Michigan should loose another day of instruction for the mistake of a reporter?

Should the paper pay for the cost of the “fiasco”?

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071012/SCHOOLS/710120406/1026

“Sex, Drugs and Rock-n-Roll”: Keeping Kids Attention

2007-10-01T09:50:00.000-04:00

"At the end of class they didn't get up when the bell rang. They still had their hands in the air," says Duke University pharmacology professor Rochelle Schwartz-Bloom, in an article entitled 'Rusting' Also Describes How Methamphetamine Harms The Body, published in September 28th issue of the research journal Science.

Schwartz-Bloom recalls how her own high school teacher taught her about oxidation by describing how iron and oxygen combine to create rust, "I'm not going to talk about rust," Schwartz-Bloom told the high school students. "I'm going to tell you how methamphetamines kill neurons. It's through oxidation, and it's the same reaction."

These lessons sound interesting to me, as I believe they were to the students and it didn’t stop there. Schwartz-Bloom and her team taught high school teachers how to incorporate drug-related topics into biology and chemistry classes in a national experiment. Their research shows how they increased 7,210 students' science scores by 16% by incorporating drug-related topics into high school biology and chemistry classes, according to the study.

Schwartz-Bloom describes another lesson this way. "I talked about the different formulations of cocaine if it's smoked or if it's snorted, Of course they were already street-savvy about the fact that you can get addicted more easily if you smoke crack. So I asked them, how can that be? It's the same chemical. We talked the whole hour about that.”

"I call it 'stealth learning,'" said Schwartz-Bloom, who is a science-education expert. "The students are having fun picking up facts about things they're interested in. But at the same time they're actually learning basic principles about science."

Read about the 11-year-old project funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), in which Schwartz-Bloom's group has developed a Pharmacology Education Partnership (PEP) involving Duke faculty and high school science teachers from around the United States. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070927154841.h

Ask Yourself:

Would my students be more interested in science if it related to their life or interests?

Could I do a better job of connecting content to the social context of my students life in every lesson?

Related Reading:

Posted on Science Daily site: Lessons About Drugs, Nerve Gas Teach Students Biology And Chemistry More Effectively, http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2003/10/031028055905.htm

Check out the book review of: Wasted : A Memoir of Anorexia and Bulimia by Marya Hornbacher on the Science Daily site.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/reviews/0060930934/

Are you looking for a Free and Easy way to keep up on your “digital news”?

2007-09-17T14:51:00.000-04:00

This could be it!

In June, Education Week launched the premiere issue of Digital Directions, a magazine of practical advice for technology leaders. We have an invitation to subscribe to the email version for no cost. I believe this is a strong addition to Education Week’s list of publications including Education Week News and Teacher Magazine.
http://www.edweek.org/dd/toc/2007/09/12/index.html

Take this opportunity to explore the new issue, which is full of trends and practical advice for K-12 technology leaders.

Check out the article about how schools are scrambling to meet the new federal requirements for archiving your email and more. I believe this new requirement by the feds is outrageous in it’s expectations for local school districts. And the cost will steal funds from our classrooms. The author Michelle R. Davis explains; “Districts will need to develop policies and software systems for the storage of e-mail, instant messages, word processing documents, PowerPoint presentations, and any type of electronic file on a computer system. The new requirements have caught many districts by surprise, and school officials are now playing catch-up to adopt policies and make sure they have the needed software”.
http://www.edweek.org/dd/articles/2007/09/12/02email.h01.html

Check out how educators are using wikis as collaborative learning tools in the article Wiki Wisdom: Lessons for Educators
“Wiki” is an abbreviated version of the full name, wiki-wiki, which translates as “quick” in Hawaiian. Wiki’s have been around since the mid-1990s, Frey says, and were originally used by software engineers to collaborate on writing software and for other technical tasks. A wiki is a Web site that allows those with access the power to edit or add content, track who made changes, and allow revisions to previous versions if needed.” Wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia that was launched in 2001, is one of the largest and best-known wikis. www.edweek.org/dd/articles/2007/09/12/02wiki.h01.html

Find out about school districts that are turning to online training programs in the story by Katie Ash: Digital Training: Learning communities' are emerging to meet the professional-development needs of teachers.
www.edweek.org/dd/articles/2007/09/12/02pd.h01.html

Free Subscription of Digital Directions:
http://reg.itworld.com/servlet/Frs.frs?Context=LOGENTRY&Source=source&Source_BC=53&Script=/LP/80140066/reg&

Ask Yourself:
Do we need another publication about current news in technology?
Will I read it?
Where do I receive up to date information on technology that I can use to do my daily work?

Stereotypes Still Keep Girls Out of Math and Science…

2007-09-04T15:47:00.000-04:00

Five common myths persist vis-a-vis girls' preferences and strengths when it comes to scientific subject matter, according to the National Science Foundation's Research on Gender in Science and Engineering program.

In the article, “Stereotypes turn girls off to math, science: About as many girls as boys like the subjects at a young age” published August 27th in Live Science, the author reviewed the research. Sixty-six percent of girls and sixty-eight percent of boys report liking science in early grades. But, the persistence of the stereotypes start to turn girls off, and by eighth grade, boys are twice as interested in STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) careers as girls are. The female attrition continues throughout high school, college and even the work force.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20466219

Below are five myths about girls and science that still endure, according to the National Science Foundation's Research on Gender. A more complete explanation for each myth is given in the article.

Myth 1: From the time they start school, most girls are less interested in science than boys are.

Myth 2: Classroom interventions that work to increase girls' interest in STEM run the risk of turning off the boys.

Myth 3: Science and math teachers are no longer biased toward their male students.

Myth 4: When girls just aren't interested in science, parents can't do much to motivate them.

Myth 5: At the college level, changing the STEM curriculum runs the risk of watering down important "sink or swim" coursework.

The study offers strategies and interventions to help our female students view science and math as a viable career. One of the most effective interventions to help young women choose and sustain a STEM educational path and subsequent STEM career is mentoring, according to the NSF.

"There are helpful strategies for teachers and for families to attract girls to science and keep them engaged in it," says Jolene Kay Jesse, GSE program director. "And, by the way, these strategies are helpful in keeping students of both genders engaged."

The program seeks to broaden the participation of girls and women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics education fields by supporting research, research-based innovations and education add-ons that will lead to a larger and more diverse domestic science and engineering workforce.

Ask Yourself:

Does our science, technology and math curriculum encourage strong participation from our girls?

How do we know? What are we doing proactively?

Should we actually ASK the girls about the “vibes” they get from their school or home culture?

Other Interesting Articles:
“A Math Makeover
OMG! Actress and mathematician Danica McKellar wants girls to know that being good at numbers is cool.
By Peg Tyre, Newsweek, Aug. 6, 2007 issue
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20010729/site/newsweek/

“Girls Much Quicker than Boys at Timed Tasks”
By Robert Roy Britt, LiveScience Managing Editor
25 April 2006
http://www.livescience.com/health/060425_boys_girls.html

“Are Men Smarter?”
Posted: Thursday, September 07, 2006 6:57 PM by Alan Boyle
Cosmic Log posting on MSNBC
http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2006/09/07/3075.aspx

“Questions Clarify Our Thinking”: A Great Little “Find”

2007-08-27T11:09:00.000-04:00

“The process of deciding what is relevant, what is of interest,
what is legitimate, what is authentic ,and what requires further
investigation demands the ability to ask questions. “ -Sally Godinho

We have known for a long time that asking the right question can spark deep thinking on a subject or idea. Designing powerful questions is a skill that does not come easily to many educators. I have discovered a little “Gem” of a publication, completely available on line, that may help teachers to design and ask better questions of their students, and educational leader or lead teachers to ask better reflective questions of themselves and their colleagues.

“Out of the Question”, written by Sally Godinho and Jeni Wilson, offers many starting points for guiding students to critically evaluate what they read, see, hear, and do. It includes 19 practical activities and strategies plus an assessment rubric. And you can browse the entire flipchart online:

The classroom culture needs to encourage students to be both question-askers
and question-answerers. Students were asked to write statements about their beliefs and values about what a question-friendly classroom is and is not… here are their remards:

A question-friendly classroom is a place where

different responses to a question are encouraged

students build on each other’s responses

students are prepared to challenge or contest a response

students generate questions for discussions

A question-friendly classroom is not a place where

student responses to questions are put down

teachers are seen as the question-askers and students as the question-answerers

students recite a response to a question rather than discuss it

Ask Yourself:

How are my skills at writing thoughtful questions which engage thinking?
How can I make your classroom more "question-friendly"?
What can I do this year to deepen student understanding?

www.stenhouse.com/pdfs/question.pdf

“Do You Know the Graduation-rate Goals Set by Your State? Should We Know?”

2007-08-06T11:05:00.000-04:00

Under No Child Left Behind’s accountability provision, high schools must meet graduation-rate goals set by their states. But the law allows states to set their own goals, and the range of these goals varies widely according to a study released by the Education Trust in Washington.

“Because the law allowed states wide latitude, the goals for graduation rates vary widely. Nevada, for example, says its goal is to graduate 50 percent of its students; Iowa sets a target of 95 percent”, said Jennifer Medina of the New York Times, in her article, “A Study Finds Some States Lagging on Graduation Rates” published August 2, 2007.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/02/education/02graduation.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

This is the New York Times map “Setting the Bar” which illustrates the differences in state goals for graduation-rates. How does your state stack up?

Daria Hall, the author of the report, that criticizes states for not doing enough, said “We need targets that provoke action on behalf of the students, not ones that condone the status quo.” while representative George Miller, chairman of the House Education Committee and an architect of the original No Child Left Behind legislation, said “reauthorization of that law should include changes so that graduation rates were used as a key measure of performance”.

Ask Yourself:
Could just the awareness of the graduation-rate goals for your state, whether high or low, create a reflective dialogue that educators should have?
Do you believe raising the goal would improve graduation rates?
Have you and your colleagues had this discussion?
Were you just as surprised as I was?

You Mean, All Those Math Classes are Helping My Science Grade?

2007-07-30T16:12:00.000-04:00

According to a new study of 8,474 students, taking introductory science at 63 U.S. Colleges and Universities, students who took more math in high school did better in all types of college science. Students who took high school science courses such as chemistry or physics improved college performance only in those specific subject areas.

Randolph E. Schmid, AP Science Writer, said in his Thursday, July 26, 2007 article “Want to Be Good at Science? Math Is Key”, describes the report published by Philip M. Sadler of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics and Robert H. Tai of the University of Virginia in July’s edition of Science Journal.

Click Here To Read The Article

Science educators often take joy in debating the effect of the order in which students take science courses throughout their high school career. Some science teachers argue that physics should be taught earlier because it will help students understand the other two science areas; other teachers say having chemistry first will help in learning biology. But, the 1890’s biology tends to come first, followed by chemistry and then physics.

Ask Yourself: Which of these arguments would I support?

Then read the article and find out…neither was the case.

Schmid quotes the researchers: "I was surprised," Sadler said in a telephone interview. "I had a very open mind about whether this kind of early preparation would pay off." "The most important thing for high school science teachers is to make sure there is lots of math in whatever science course they teach," Sadler said. "Math is so important in college science."

I believe the real “informational nugget” here is the idea that science teachers purposefully integrate math into their content and likewise, math teachers view their content with a critical eye on science. Here is where acceleration of learning could take place in both subject areas.

Ask Yourself: Could we create an opportunity for a team of science and math teachers to develop “team teaching” episodes, lessons, or full units of study, which would help our students learn to integrate their knowledge of science and math?

Do you believe students would learn more? Would we?

http://www.sciencemag.org

Related stories on Math studies:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/17/AR2006101701298.html

School Integration is Still a Hot Button

2007-07-03T15:21:00.000-04:00

In a nation where housing patterns are largely segregated, efforts to integrate schools have been a hot button in education for more than a half-century, and the Supreme Court pushed that button again this week.
Tamar Lewin, of the New York Times shares information and her thoughts in her article on June 29, 2007: Across U.S., a New Look at School Integration Efforts

Lewin writes, “After a deeply divided U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 to strike down two districts' racial integration plans, schools across the country wondered whether they must drastically change their own desegregation efforts. Although the court's four most conservative members sought to make all race-based decisions unconstitutional, Justice Anthony Kennedy, who cast the tie-breaking vote, narrowed their reach for now, saying race may sometimes be used to achieve diversity.”

Lawyers quoted in her article said the 5-to-4 ruling would not end litigation over school desegregation and may reignite it, as many school districts will have to turn to alternative methods for achieving diversity.

“The decision leaves unanswered questions about when race may be considered, and unanswered questions lead to more litigation,” said Sally Scott, a Chicago lawyer whose firm, Franczek Sullivan, represents dozens of Illinois school districts, some of which use assignment plans that consider race.

Education lawyers seem to agree that the decision most likely will lead to the consideration of income as a neutral means of achieving school diversity.

“Sharon Browne, a lawyer for the Pacific Legal Foundation, a conservative group that supported the parents suing Seattle and Louisville, said at a news conference yesterday that in addition to the foundation’s current litigation against policies in Los Angeles and Berkeley, Calif., schools, her group has identified several other districts, including Lynn, Mass., and Rochester, whose policies now seem ripe for challenge.”

Lewin describes how, “Justices disagreed bluntly with each other in 169 pages of written opinions on whether the decision supports or betrays the landmark Brown v. Board of Education ruling that led to the end of state-sponsored school segregation in the United States.”

Ask Yourself:

• Lewin believes the 5-4 decision, the 24th such split this term, displayed the new dominance of the court's aggressive conservative majority because the four liberal justices dissented.
Do You?

• Beginning in the 1990’s, court orders were lifted in many districts and Supreme Court judges have ruled as if the effects of past segregation had been remedied.
Do you believe the effects of past segregation have been remedied?

• Will the new Supreme Court ruling drastically change your school’s desegregation or diversity efforts?

New York Times Article, June 29, 2007
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/29/washington/29schools.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1

“Experts Fear Increasing Segregation in Wake of Supreme Court Decision”
http://www.smartbrief.com/news/ascd/storyDetails.jsp?issueid=5B4E2139-90E4-4C3B-962F-6871A158E640©id=C7EB6633-68B8-4CDF-9DEC-DBD3E97FFB10&lmcid=1251202

Other related Stories from ASCD
http://www.smartbrief.com/news/ascd/storyDetails.jsp?issueid=5B4E2139-90E4-4C3B-962F-6871A158E640©id=9C87EB76-57A4-4D2A-AAB6-6E4A00D344B0&lmcid=1251202&brief=ascd

It Breaks Your Heart to Read: “The Regrets of a School Dropout”

2007-06-19T11:50:00.000-04:00

"It was like it wasn't a big deal to anybody, so it wasn't a big deal to me," he said. Because there were no consequences, quitting was easy.”

This is a quote from Larue Campbell who was feeling profound loss as he visited Largo High School, where he dropped out a several years ago.

In my May 7th Blog article, I wrote about the importance of developing a “Don’t Give Up Attitude” for students who are disenfranchised. Yet, I felt compelled to revisit the topic and share this article with you in this season of graduation celebrations.

Avis Thomas-Lester, a Washington Post Staff Writer (Friday, June 15, 2007; Page B01), gives us a clear glimpse into Larue’s world. This is also the world of thousands of our nations students pondering dropping outs.

Thomas-Lester says, “In dropping out, Campbell became part of a disturbing trend -- black male students who walk out on their own education. Statistics show that more than 50 percent of black male students fail to graduate with their class each year. In some urban jurisdictions such as New York and Chicago, upwards of two-thirds of them leave high school before graduation, according to a study by the Schott Foundation for Public Education.”

Larue spent his high school years living first with his grandmother then in his aunt’s home, where he now spends time studying for his GED. As we hear his words we can see how long his road was.

“When I started hooking, my grandmother got mad," he said. "She went up to my school and told them, 'He don't want to be here. He lives in Maryland, anyway.' They put me out."

After reading the article, Ask Yourself:
When is it early enough to start looking for signs of alienation?

I believe, as does Alvin Thornton of Howard University, that something called the “forth grade syndrome” could be one (one of many) important place to focus a “don’t give up strategy”. Elementary educators are familiar with this critical time, when boys can become lost and alienated. As the elementary curriculum moves from “learning to read”, in grades kindergarten through third grade… to “reading to learn” in forth grade, reading and comprehension problems become evident. With out the ability to “read to learn” on their own textbooks are useless.

Ask Yourself:
Are our boys, entering fourth grade in the fall able to “read to learn” on their own?

www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/14/AR2007061402070.html

A New Opportunity to Act

2007-06-04T12:45:00.000-04:00

ASCD has launched a new public engagement and advocacy campaign and we want you to be a part of it. WholeChildEducation.org is a Web site that calls on parents, educators, policymakers, and communities to join forces to ensure our children become productive, engaged citizens. I believe this is an opportunity for each of us to make a difference in how schools and communities work together to ensure each student has access to a challenging curriculum in a healthy and supportive climate.

You can visit their Web site to find out how well your school and community are doing with our Grade Your School and Community tool. You can also share what's working and what's not working in your school in our Share Your Story section. Find materials to share with your friends and neighbors in the Resource Clearinghouse. ASCD 's Policy Blackboard highlights policymakers who are speaking up for the whole child and fighting for change. But they need your help: as caring educators I believe it is important to Spread the Word about these efforts.

ASCD believes children deserve an education that emphasizes academic rigor as well as the essential 21st-century skills of critical thinking and creativity.

You may wish to pass this on to other colleagues or interested community members.

Ask Yourself:

Am I doing all I gan to educate the whole child in my classroom or school?
How can I do more?

» Visit WholeChildEducation.org today.

“Combining High Tech with High Touch”

2007-05-25T17:46:00.000-04:00

Nationally Recognized EAST Program: Demonstrates How Students Can Provide Community Service Using Very Sophisticated Technology Tools

Far from the outdated, stereotypical picture of technology as cold and impersonal… take a look at how students are reaching out to their communities, with technology, and making a powerful contribution.

James Boardman, writer for eSchool News, describes how one high school program won the 2007 Founders Award:

May 1, 2007—Exciting things are happening in Star City, Arkansas. This small town of a little more than 2,000 people just learned that its high school Environmental and Spatial Technology (EAST) program was named the 2007 recipient of the Timothy R. Stephenson Founder's Award by the EAST Initiative, an educational nonprofit that oversees EAST programs nationally.

How did a small, rural school stand out from the field of more than 170 programs nationally? The school merely motivated its students to outperform anyone's expectations in providing community service using very sophisticated technology tools.

All students, regardless of past experience or previous expectations, are encouraged, expected, and required to work in teams that tackle self-selected community service projects. In the context of these projects, EAST students often move beyond being "merely" volunteers and begin assuming roles of responsibility for solving local issues.

Students in this program have access to a wide variety of technologies to help them in their projects--from GIS/GPS applications, computer-aided drafting tools, and digital film tools, to high-end animation and web design tools, computer programming tools, virtual reality design tools, and so on. The EAST classroom is equipped with more than 65 different software applications in a student-maintained network of servers, workstations, and peripherals.

Read more about the EAST Project, which is part of the U.S. Department of Education, National Technology in Education Plan. Find out how you could receive grant money for instituting this innovative program.

Then… Ask Yourself:

Could we do a better job of combining High Tech and High Touch?

www.eschoolnews.com/news/showStory.cfm?ArticleID=7060

Links:
EAST Initiative
Star City Schools

"Take that to the bank and smoke it!” Technology Offers Teachers the Ability to Give Students Instant Feedback to Correct Errors… Midstream

2007-05-18T10:08:00.000-04:00

Have you ever “mixed your metaphors” or “confused your cliché” and wanted to instantly correct the error before someone heard the words come out of your mouth?

I was not able to stop silly phrases like, "It's not rocket science!” or "I'm looking for it like cats and dogs!" from escaping my lips, but using Texas Instruments new wireless calculator, teachers can now correct student errors midstream, even before the final calculation of a math problem.

The new Texas Instruments calculator sends wireless signals from pupils' handheld calculators to a desktop PC that lets teachers analyze and correct student errors before they can even complete the problem. According to the Texas Instruments Web site, the TI-Navigator system also lets instructors "get answers from every student, not just the vocal ones,"

USA Today interviewed TI Chief Executive Rich Templeton on May 15, 2007 at the Reuters Global Technology, Media and Telecoms Summit in New York.

“Texas Instruments, whose calculators helped make the company a household name, has found a way to help teachers quickly identify students who may be failing math”. "The teacher can understand who's not getting it" by assessing which functions students keyed into their calculators, Templeton said.

The so-called TI-Navigator sends wireless signals from pupils' handheld calculators to a personal-computer screen that lets instructors correct and analyze errors in real time.

“But calculators, a long time fixture in college mathematics and engineering classrooms, are more profitable than the semiconductors and cell phone chips we produce, and the company sees them as a core part of the business”, Templeton said.

With TI-Navigator, even shy students get a say in the classroom as teachers can review their calculations streamed wirelessly, and quietly, to the instructor's monitor, according to the company's website.

The system lets teachers "get answers from every student, not just the vocal ones," says TI's website. Instructors also can identify and correct common mistakes as they occur and, if necessary, adjust lessons as they go along.

Templeton was quick to note that the system, introduced about two years ago, is not designed to spy on students, but is meant to be used as a learning tool.

"It's about helping teachers understand the effectiveness of how they are teaching lessons and how their students are following along," Templeton said.

www.usatoday.com/tech/wireless/2007-05-15-calculator-teachers_N.htm

I don’t often comment about a specific product, but this reminds me of the individual student chalkboards we used (very effective, I might add) in the 1970’s. Students would hold up their boards for the teacher to see, and after four or five math problems we knew which students could continue with independent practice and which ones needed to “move to the round table” and receive different or additional instruction. I liked the idea then and I like it now that it has grown, through technology, to leverage teacher time and accommodate higher-level calculations.

Ask Yourself:
Do you believe wireless calculators can help teachers identify and help struggling math students more quickly?
Would you like to use them?
Do you have any really good Cliché “goof up” to share with us?

Keep Kids in School: Develop a “Don’t Give Up” Attitude

2007-05-07T16:44:00.000-04:00

Do you know students who were silently labeled “hopeless” and eventually left school?

Based on calculations per school day (189 school days at seven hours each day), one high school student drops out every nine seconds. (National Dropout Prevention Center) www.dropoutprevention.org

While certain factors may place students at an increased risk, overall students who dropout are by no means a homogeneous group. Low grades are only one reason; boredom, alienation, low personal expectations, schools’ propensity for suspension, full-time work, pregnancy, and marriage are all possible contributors.

It is imperative that schools have a good grasp on why their students are leaving.

Are they “stepping out” to pursue other alternatives? Do our own programs (such as work release) encourage this by making them feel as though they are no longer a part of our school community when they leave the building?

Are they being “pushed out” because we have given them few reasons to stay? It’s easy to continually suspend students for misbehaving, or let low achievers go prior to high stakes testing to keep scores high.

Or they “zone out” because they find little relevance in the curriculum or the activities available to them. Content must be engaging, and the context needs to reflect what is important in their social environment.

Some good news from Connecticut: Ordering children out of school is a longstanding and widely used form of punishment across the U.S., but that could change soon in Connecticut. Lawmakers are considering a bill that would permit out-of-school suspensions only for students deemed too dangerous or disruptive to be in school. Staff writers Robert Frahm and Matthew Kauffman of the The Courant, published by University of Phoenix, write about a new Bill that would put limits on schools ability to suspend students.

“A Punishing School Debate”, May 2, 2007
www.courant.com/news/education/hc-suspensions0502.artmay02,0,3979582.story?coll=hc-headlines-education

I believe kids want to succeed and feel valued. Always keep in mind, dropping out is usually the outcome of a long process of disengagement, and students who seem relatively stable can get suddenly shaky.

Take time to assess which students in your school are at risk of dropping out, stepping out, zoning out, or being pushed out before it happens. Be proactive in discussing strategies to keep them in school and learning.

Ask Yourself:

Do I believe out-of-school suspension is counter-productive?

Could I demonstrate a better “don’t give up” attitude for our students?

Could creative use of technology help us keep some kids in school?

Could we better utilize data (attendance, grades, suspension rates etc.) to identify and track possible student disengagement?

Let us hear your ideas!

Teachers’ Unions Finally Take a Unified Position on No Child Left Behind

2007-05-02T09:41:00.000-04:00

After five years of following separate paths, the two national teachers’ unions are now taking a unified position on accountability under the No Child Left Behind Act, and are trying to influence it’s eminent reauthorization.

The National Education Association has been a staunch critic of the 5-year-old law, maintaining that it is an unfunded mandate with unattainable student-achievement goals. The American Federation of Teachers has argued that the law’s goals of raising achievement were sound, but that its policies need revising.

The two Education Week articles below have addressed this issue in recent weeks. From these authors we can reflect on the views of each union and how and why they are thinking more alike.

“Views of AFT, NEA on Reauthorization Getting Closer”
By: David J. Hoff

http://enews.edweek.org/GoNow/a15864a164787a344250455a2

“Changing NCLB Is Top Topic at NEA Convention”
By: Vaishali Honawa

http://enews.edweek.org/GoNow/a15864a164787a344250455a1

Ask Yourself:
What is the Unions' Role in Reauthorization of NCLB?

Do you believe the unification of efforts, by these two powerful unions, can help shape the direction of the reauthorization of NCLB?

If so, what impact could such changes have on teacher unions, and ultimately student learning, across the country?

Deaths at Virginia Tech University Have Educators Weighing How to Handle Students’ Violent Writing

2007-04-24T16:52:00.000-04:00

Across the country, high school and college writing teachers regularly must weigh whether violent student writings are just creative outlets or signs of something darker.

Amanda Van Benschoten writes in her article for the Cincinnati Enquirer, “Schools eye student writing, Teachers address disturbing material” Quotes’ Melissa Fry, a community college professor, this way “You shouldn't assume anything: If you notice something in an essay, you should pull the student aside and take it from there,"

We walk a fine line when reading student writings. I believe it is critical we make the effort “to get into the writers mind”, to clarify intent. There have been a plethora of newspaper articles written about this subject since the killings on the Virginia Tech Campus. Here are a few of those thoughts, from professionals who write for a living.

The Cincinnati Enquirer : “Schools eye student writing Teachers address disturbing material”

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070424/NEWS0102/704240382/1058/NEWS01

San Francisco Chronicle: ”Predicting risk tough, despite warning signs”

www.sfgate.com/cgi-binarticle.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/04/22/MNGEMPDAMC1.DTL

The Boston Hearld: “Educators say VT shootings highlight problems dealing with troubled students”

http://news.bostonherald.comnational/south/view.bg?articleid=196269

The Baltimore Sun: “Drawing a line between danger and creativity”

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/education/bal-te.to.writing20apr20,0,3371374.story?coll=bal-education-college

Ask yourself:

How closely do we monitor the writings of our students for intent?

Would a watchful eye and deeper concern better serve the writer, and other students as well?

Help Students Find the Passion

2007-04-18T10:41:00.000-04:00

Career-Oriented Education can help Keep Kids Motivated

School officials in some Baltimore High Schools are overwhelmed by demand for career-track programs in fields such as sports medicine and pre-engineering. Their hope is that career-oriented education can help keep potential dropouts in school by motivating students who might otherwise see little link between class work and the real world.
Article, Baltimore Sun 4.4.07

Career and technical education is more salient than ever, and integrating academics with a career-focused curriculum helps students understand the purpose behind their learning. Our goal should be to provide students with a broad vision so that they can find their passion and wrap a career around it.

Telling students, “You can do anything” seems like a positive, encouraging statement, but without a clear vision of what they would like to do, students can easily get drawn into an unfulfilling, uninspiring career

As teachers, we can act as “lamplighters” to help students identify and maximize their strengths, understand their weaknesses, and channel their interests toward promising career pathways. For example, a middle school in Michigan instituted an after-school program in which 8th grade students toured local businesses in vans provided by a local car dealer. They identified the skills needed for certain jobs and measured them against their own abilities and enthusiasm for the work. In this way, students were able to begin formulating ideas about the types of jobs for which they would be well suited, as well as what types of jobs would be exciting to them. As we strive to point out the correlation between current achievement and future earning power, it is important to acknowledge that college is not the only (or even the most important) goal of primary and secondary education.

Ask Yourself:

•Would our students be more likely to discover promising careers if we helped them define their strengths and find their passions?

•How can we broaden student awareness of new career opportunities?

“President Bush Tries Another Push for Vouchers”

2007-01-23T11:27:00.000-05:00

President George W. Bush in his State of the Union address last night highlighted a plan to give children with greater economic needs private school vouchers -- something key Democrats in Congress already have signaled they will reject. The administration tried unsuccessfully to include a voucher program in the No Child Left Behind law when it was first approved by Congress five years ago.

In an article in the today’s Mississippi Sun Herald, entitled “Bush reintroduces school voucher plan”, Nancy Zuckerbrod of the Associated Press writes: “White House officials say a private school voucher program makes sense for students in schools that are consistently failing to meet progress goals under the No Child Left Behind law.”

"This is not for every kid in America," White House Deputy Chief of Staff Joel Kaplan said. "This is for those kids who are trapped in the absolute worst schools that just don't seem to be capable, or willing, to make the changes necessary to serve those students well." www.sunherald.com/mld/sunherald/16528972.htm

Let’s hear what you think of another push for vouchers by this administration.
Good Idea…?
Crummy Idea…?

HERE ARE OTHER RELATED ARTICLES:

Bloomberg Report January 6, 2007:
“Bush Says He and Democrats Can Find Common Ground This Year”
www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aTWnFXfWJF.4&refer=home

Education Week December 19, 2006:
“Democratic Congress to Step up Department Oversight”
www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2006/12/20/16oversight.h26.html

United Press International January 6, 2007
“Bush Plugs Education Legislation”
www.upi.com/NewsTrack/view.php?StoryID=20070105-051033-8972r

“From Cradle to Career”

2007-01-05T15:18:00.000-05:00

Education Week Publishes 2007 Quality Counts Report With Mixed Reviews

“Parents in Michigan are Upset by Study on Kids’ Success” was the headline in the Local Section of the January 4th Detroit Free Press. Chastity Pratt ,Free Press education writer, went on to describe a study released Wednesday which said Michigan’s students, on average, are destined to be… average.

The study was Education Weeks 2007 Quality Counts Report which ranked Michigan 25th among the 50 states when it comes to a child’s chance for success, taking into account categories such as the unemployment rate, the number of residents who graduate with a diploma and income.

Ms. Pratt writes, “It concluded that the state’s children have an average chance for educational and career success largely because Michigan’s adults fall in line with national averages”. Some parents she interviewed complained that the study seems too defeatist. They believe success for students cannot be measured so easily by looking at the accomplishments of parents. “That’s too much stereotyping for me,” said Shaton Berry of Detroit, a regional representative in the Michigan Parent Teacher Student Association.

The state that ranked highest on the chance-for-success index was Virginia. The state that ranked lowest on the chance-for-success was New Mexico.

Has Education Week chosen the correct measures for student success?
What do you think?
How did your state rank?

View the report and let me know what you are thinking or feeling about the validity of their assumptions. Being from Michigan, or not, I certainly do not feel “average”.

http://www.edweek.org/ew/toc/2007/01/04/index.html

Look for “Greener” Pastures in 2007…

2007-01-03T10:07:00.000-05:00

Grant Awards for Environmental Engineering and Green Product Design

After your usual holiday spending spree “depression” dissipates, the start of a new year can bring renewed excitement in the search for funding to support your district, school or classroom science and technology goals.

eSchool News has identified several grants available to educators at all levels that are looking for funds to support the use of innovative technology with a “greener” side.

The Hewlett-Packard Company’s 2007 Technology for Teaching Grants will award approximately $10 million in cash and equipment to schools through the HP Technology for Teaching Program. This year extra consideration is being given to proposals related to environmental engineering and green product design. You can begin your application process Monday, January 8th and the deadline is Thursday, February 15th.

http://www.eschoolnews.com/erc/funding/opps.cfm#1635

For science teachers looking to challenge their students’ writing and scientific thinking skills, the “DuPont Challenge Science Essay Competition” could be the ticket, offering more than $20,000 for science-oriented student essays. Students compete by writing a 700 to 1,000-word essay discussing a scientific discovery, theory, event, or technology application that has captured their interest. And, the teacher sponsoring the winning student also receives a prize. The deadline is Monday, February 12th. Previous winning essays can be found at the site: http://www.glcomm.com/dupont/index.htm

Understand the True “Scope” of Effective Professional Development

2006-11-27T15:35:00.000-05:00

Earlier this month I had the pleasure of giving the opening Keynote for the 12th Annual SCOPE Technology Conference, “Lead By Design: Technology Integration Across the Curriculum”, in Long Island, New York. The SCOPE Education Services of Long Island, NY is a powerful example of educational leaders, passionate about effective staff development based on student learning, who has built an organization to make a difference.

SCOPE is a not-for-profit, private organization permanently chartered by the New York State Board of Regents to provide services to school districts. School superintendents founded SCOPE in 1964 as a cooperative venture for sharing resources to deal with common concerns. It is governed by a Board of Directors made up of school superintendents and college representatives and serves as a regional School Study Council and School Board Institute.

As I peruse the SCOPE catalogue of exciting fall course opportunities, consisting of 62 pages of “right on… use them today strategies”, (not to mention the full range of educational services), I am very impressed.

I was even more impressed with the leading educators I met at the conference. Dr. Joseph Del Rosso, Executive Director and former Superintendent, is passionate and knowledgeable about effective professional development design. His Professional Development Staff knows we cannot expect teacher and administrator training of the past to prepare our present students for the future.

Betty Westcott, Assistant Director of Professional Development, is the energetic key organizer for the conference. With her wit and skill, plus a very hard working staff, she ran an exciting professional development event designed around the Long Island learner. The SCOPE organization “gets it” … they demonstrate strong professional development is a process, continually evaluated, of improving educator competencies and skills for the purpose of accelerating student learning.

We can all learn from them: www.scopeonline.us

As Much As I Hate Politics…I’m Watching 36 Battles For Governor Next Week

2006-11-01T13:37:00.000-05:00

Education is a “hot topic” for gubernatorial candidates seeking election next week. It seems like all thirty-six are portraying themselves as the “education governor” from information in a thought provoking and informative article from Education Week.

The story “Education Eyed in 36 Battles for Governor: Candidates running on pre-K, performance pay, voucher.” written by Michele McNeil, includes an impressive interactive map of the gubernatorial candidates and their education platforms.

“Every one of those governors is running on what they’re going to do for education. Every candidate says, ‘I want to be the education governor,’ ” said Bob Wise, who was West Virginia’s governor from 2001 to 2005. A Democrat, he is now the executive director of the Alliance for Excellent Education, a Washington-based advocacy group that works to improve high schools.

McNeil says, “Whatever the outcomes on Nov. 7, the nation will have at least 10 new state governors, because the incumbents are prevented by term limits from running again, chose not to seek re-election, or were defeated in a primary election.”

From personal experience as Assistant Superintendent of a K-12 District, I know that whom ever sits in the governors chair effects daily life in the classroom, offices, and board rooms of every district in the state.
Knowing that our votes cast in next month’s 36 gubernatorial elections will help shape future K-12 policies, from how schools are financed to how teachers are paid, you may want to view the interactive map within the article to see what the future of our nations schools could look like.

Ask Yourself: Is your governor’s seat up for grabs on November 7? Do you know their education platform? Can we elect a real “education governor”?

http://enews.edweek.org/GoNow/a15864a154778a344250455a26

Other Resources: All About Governors

Go inside a governor’s office to learn about the 2006 elections at the National Governors Association Website.

http://www.nga.org/portal/site/nga

View National Governors Association Meeting Summaries and search through any governors’ database in the site’s Governors section. From the list of states with elections in 2006 you can click on the underlined gubernatorial candidates' names to access campaign websites.

I Won’t Read “The Catcher in the Rye” Again… You Can’t Make Me

2006-10-27T17:09:00.000-04:00

I remember the struggle, the confusion, and the sheer length of the novel “The Catcher in the Rye”. It could have been because I was newly in eighth grade and we were required to read all those words. Could it have actually taken an entire semester? Does that sound right to you? Well, if not, it seems that way, to put it simple… I wasn’t ready for it and I don’t think I will ever pick it up again.

Valerie Strauss of the Washington Post says: “Although fluency had long been identified by experts as important, it then became a hot issue.” In two articles on reading fluency she shares opinions from experts in the field and ideas from successful practice.

In Quest for Speed, Books Are Lost on Children
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/23/AR2006102300928.html

Evans Middle School, in Ottumwa, Iowa, was declared a school in need of improvement in reading in 2004, and Principal Davis Eidahl said he adopted a program focused on reading fluency using a model constructed by Rasinski aimed at improving comprehension. The article includes a fluency chart from expert Tim Rasinski of Kent State University,

But, is it all about speed?

Assigned Books Often Are a Few Sizes Too Big
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/23/AR2006102300949.html?nav=hcmodule

Many teachers exclude graphic novels and comics from reading lists, even though a graphic novel was nominated for the National Book Award this year. And Archbishop Desmond Tutu, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, has said he learned to read through comics after his schoolmaster father disregarded others who said the comics would lead to no good.

What about visual learners?

What Do you Think?
Should kids read Shakespeare or the comics? Graphic novels or "The Catcher in the Rye"? Many reading experts say they should read everything – but only when they are ready to understand what they are reading.

TELL US YOUR EXPERIENCE.

Other Websites of Interest:

Reading in Content Areas for Teachers
School improvement network provides complete professional development solutions for public & private schools. Reading in content areas teacher development solutions.
www.schoolimprovement.com

Teaching Reading Program
Discover a research proven way to raise student literacy and test scores by building your students' academic vocabulary.
www.ascd.org

Get the “Big Picture” With Video in Education

2006-10-20T16:15:00.000-04:00

eSchool News presents the new Video Resource Center

I took a look at the debut edition of the eSchool News Network's web-based video program (October 18, 2006) and found a painless way to keep current on educational technology. http://www.eschoolnews.com/video/

eSN TechWatch, which is anchored by Managing Editor Dennis Pierce, brings you the latest news and information for K-12 decision makers. This first 21-minute video helps me to view a wealth of creative events, progressive ideas, and application of newest technology at elementary, secondary and university levels. It is a time saving way that is working to keep abreast of rapid technology change. Links include best practices, expert insights, student videos, and information on tech conferences.

Staying with the theme of “keeping in the know”, check out this same issues’ Ed-Tech Vanguard Report, a publication dedicated to documenting the ed-tech successes of America's school districts. These articles give extensive information about three creative districts: “Broward County Public Schools, Ed-Tech’s Place in the Sun”, “Fairfax County Public Schools, New take on Ed-Tech in the Old Dominion”, and “Clark County Public Schools Meet the High-tech High Rollers of CCSD” http://www.eschoolnews.com/resources/reports/vanguard_report/index.cfm

Please share your latest “discovery” of a creative use of technology you may have found. Even better… tell us your own!!

Entire Oct 18, 2006 Issue

To Strike or Not to Strike:

2006-09-13T18:03:00.000-04:00

Today was a good day for 129,000 children in Detroit, because 9,500 members (the majority) of the Detroit Federation of Teachers voted to return to class this morning (Wednesday, September 13), ending a strike that began Aug. 28th. During the announcement of the vote results, teachers stood and cheered.

To get a sense of the tension within the city during these last few days, I have included several articles published by the Detroit Free Press from the day before the union strike was settled, and on the day teachers voted to return to their classrooms. By reading these articles, you can feel the struggle both sides had with 129,000 Detroit children missing precious learning time.

Headlines Tuesday, September 12, 2006:
Detroit Cancels Classes as Teachers Defy Court
By: Catherine Jun, Amy Lee and Kim Kozlowski / The Detroit News

"We have the right to protest what we think is unfair," said Cynthia Van Horn, an English teacher. She said she is not fazed by the court order, despite possible penalties. Detroit teachers vowed to remain on strike during a brief but raucous union meeting Sunday at Cobo Center. They went on strike Aug. 28 after rejecting a proposal that included a 5.55 percent pay cut and increased co-pays on health care benefits.

Headlines September 13, 2006:

How Mayor Brokered End of School Strike: No Wage Givebacks, but Benefits Cut
By: Christine MacDonald and Catherine Jun / The Detroit News

After two weeks of round-the-clock negotiations -- some stretching to 20 hours -- no breakthroughs were in sight.
But pressure was mounting from all sides. Two prominent Detroit religious figures -- Detroit NAACP president the Rev. Wendell Anthony and the Rev. Oscar King III -- planned to tell the community that both sides refused to give. Gov. Jennifer Granholm had just launched what could be a lengthy and tedious fact-finding process. And the district was about to ask a judge to fine teachers for not reporting. That's when Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick opened his office doors to a settlement. Ten hours later, after coffee, catfish and chocolate cake, the two sides had hashed out a deal with the mayor and two of his top staffers -- and without the mediators who had sat with them for weeks.

Pay freeze troubles teachers
By: Catherine Jun and Amy Lee / The Detroit News

Sylvia Leavell, a teacher consultant with Detroit Day School for the Deaf and a union member, said she planned to vote on accepting it."The teachers were more concerned about giving up more," she said. "If we had to continue to give up more, teachers probably would not budge." But some teachers say the latest proposal is still difficult to swallow. "I have a problem we're not even getting a raise this year," said Jonathan Blakey, a physical education teacher at Osborn High School. "That's not a very good contract."

Here are some of the particulars of the new contract:

The three-year agreement includes a pay freeze in the first year, with teachers giving up 5 percent in non-wage concessions, and seniority pay raises restored. In the second year, teachers would get a 1 percent wage increase, followed by a 2.5 percent increase in year three.

What Do You Think?
Should teachers strike? What would you do? What do you think of the Mayor getting involved?

How Does Competition Affect Student Learning?

2006-09-05T22:12:00.000-04:00

In my previous post, on August 25, we examined ways of “keeping kids in school”. As a teacher, principal and assistant superintendent I took this as a personal mandate. So today, when I found some interesting research published by ASCD on their Research Brief webpage, I hoped to spark some dialogue.

Dan Laitsch, in his article Competition and Student Learning, asks the question: “How does competition affect student learning?” Let us put it another way: Does competition “push out” or “pull” students into the learning process?

Laitsch’s bottom line stated: “Using a behavioral-economic model, the researchers found support for the concept that competition between students may have a negative effect on student motivation as students attempt to protect their own perceived self-worth.”

In his writing Laitsch made reference to, Metacognition and the Self-System, an article by Kavita Seeratan, a member of the Learning Disabilities Resource Community from University of Toronto.

Seeratan states: “faced with a challenging intellectual task, the student who believes he has the capabilities to perform it effectively will be more likely to undertake it and to persist at the task than will the student who has doubts about his ability to perform it successfully”. Her final premise: “In order for the metacognitive systems to work properly, children must have adequate information about both strategic knowledge and metacognitive activity. Hence, positive attributions or high motivation to succeed would be of little use to an individual who does not have the necessary accompanying strategic knowledge and metacognitive skills. But in the presence of strategic knowledge and metacognitive skills, motivation and affective states are very advantageous in promoting progress towards self-determination.”

http://www.ldrc.ca/contents/view_article/157/

A couple of questions come to mind: Would a “competition strategy” be a successful motivator in the presence of strategic knowledge, metacognitive skills and students belief in their ability to perform successfully? Wow, and if so, how do we do that in our classrooms?

Develop A “Don’t Give Up” Attitude

2006-08-25T16:54:00.000-04:00

A group of South Carolina business leaders commissioned a closer look at their schools and found something they were not looking for. They discovered that their “worst-in-the nation dropout rate” cannot be explained by high poverty levels, single-parent households, or rigorous graduation requirements, as reported on the South Carolina Home Page

Kudos to South Carolina State Superintendent of Education Inez Tenenbaum, who pointed to recent state-sanctioned initiatives targeting truancy and curriculum changes to make high school instruction more relevant to individual student interests. This is a wonderful start to developing a powerful strategy that teachers can use to keep kids in school. The strategy is: Develop a “Don’t Give Up” Attitude.

Why do your students leave school? Do they “step out” to pursue other alternatives, such as full time work or marriage? Do they experience “push out” because the staff passively allows them to leave with little effort to help them identify problems or reasons to stay? Or do they “drop out” because of boredom, alienation, low academic skills or a negative perception of themselves as a learner?

Gene R. Carter, Executive Director for ASCD, describes in his article “Is it Good for the Kids? What our High School Students Need” the efforts of a high school journalism teacher who chased down one of her students on the football field to remind him his paper was overdue, and how it changed his life. Now that is the “Don’t Give Up Attitude” I was talking about.

Would more of your students stay in school if each, and every one of us ratcheted up our “Don’t Give Up Attitude”?

What do you mean, as a teacher I fare better than other professionals?

2006-08-15T14:58:00.000-04:00

I'm not in agreement with Amy Jeter and Deirdre Fernandes blanket statement, "Public school teachers used to earn less than just about everyone else with a college degree. No longer." The statement was taken from their article in the The Virginian-Pilot on August 7, 2006.http://home.hamptonroads.com/stories/story.cfm?story=108788&ran=82238

I do, however, agree with their statement, "Few political priorities locally or nationally trump the desire for good schools and qualified teachers." So, I would like to introduce a couple of points they might want to ponder before they continue their public discussion on the topic.

The authors refer to the "average" teacher salary, which may not be "average" at all. As educators know, the largest number of classroom teachers, (those darn baby boomers,) are at the top of the pay scale with many holding out on retirement until they are sure of a strong economy. This recent trend is inflating their "average" figure. So much for numbers!

Let's look at a statement from the article: "On average, professionals work 232 eight-hour days a year, including paid holidays and vacation, the federal survey shows. Teachers work an average of 187 days, 7.5 hours a day." I ask them to probe a bit further.

Amy, Deirdre...interview a business manager or executive who is about to give a four-hour presentation, and ask: How many hours did you take to prepare? My guess would be a day or two. When do the authors think the classroom teacher prepares? When do they think he or she corrects student independent or group work from class? When do teachers review and comment on individual homework assignments? When do they study student data and reflect on changes to be made to their classroom instruction? When do they make those changes?

Just one more quick comment before I ask for your thoughts on this topic. Let's not forget to add in the holidays and paid vacations those "other" professionals receive. Let's see, 187 teacher days + 12 holidays + 10 vacation days + professional development days, now that is a least a better starting point from which to begin.

I believe good teachers work twelve months a year in a nine-month timeframe. How about you?

“Waste Not, Want Not”

2006-08-01T15:49:00.000-04:00

While we are on the subject of money… A surprising number of districts don't fully utilize their E-Rate funds. In fact, school districts' use of awarded E-rate funds have declined from 80 percent in 2000 to 55 percent in 2004; according to an E-Rate consulting firm Funds for Learning.

Sheila Riley has written an article on lessons from the School District of Philadelphia who are model E-Rate recipients. They believe the maxim, "Waste not, want not" are words to live by. Sheila also gives an E-Rate legislative update at: www.techlearning.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=188701657

A key aspect of making the most of E-Rate funding involves the often thankless, but nonetheless crucial, task of paperwork. Peter Kaplan, director of regulatory affairs for Funds for Learning, notes that districts often lose out on E-Rate money simply because they fail to make filing deadlines. "Each spending request has several dates and deadlines associated with it, whether it's an installation, payment, or Form 486 deadline," he says. E-Rate filing deadlines can be found at www.eratemanager.com.

Another mistake, says Kaplan, is handing the paperwork job to someone on the low end of the office hierarchy. He cautions us, "Someone relatively high up on the food chain needs to manage and oversee the program, there's a lot of money at stake here." Administrators take note: this strategy is worth a look!

Is your E-Rate manager high enough on the decision making latter to make a difference?

A Well-Conceived Idea, and a Solid Plan for Implementation… Can Pay Off… Big Time.

2006-07-11T16:57:00.000-04:00

Every school, district, university and educational organization has been asked to tighten their belts, again and again. Making decisions to cut extraordinary programs and creative personnel is frustrating to say the least.

To try and regain control of the monies spent on these programs, consider a diligent (all be it time consuming) look at the ever-increasing number of private sector grants that may align with your vision. Your unique demographics, personnel, organizational structure or limited resources could even be a benefit when applying.

Susan Brooks-Young has compiled an impressive directory of timely grants that may give you impetus and ideas. They are posted at:techlearning.com/db_area/archives/TL/2003/06/fundingdirectory.html

Susan believes the funding landscape continues to change in these times of economic uncertainty, however, opportunities are out there for educators who have a well-conceived idea and solid program implementation plans. The above website will provide updates throughout the year so keep the address handy.

With the stiff competition for government and private sector grant funds, your educational organization may consider commissioning a marketing agent or a grant writer who has practiced skills in these areas. Here are a few tips that may help you today.

GRANT WRITING TIPS

TIP #1: Form a partnership or consortium with other districts, institutes of higher education, or non-profit organizations. There is definitely strength in numbers! Many grantors are interested in funding proposals that have broad impact and are replicable. Partnerships and consortia address both these requirements and strengthen your proposal.

TIP #2: Include alternative financing options in your budget. For example, after years of shying away from equipment leases for technology purchases, many districts now find that this approach enables them to have more up-to-date equipment and keep up with a reasonable replacement cycle.

TIP #3: Partner with a business. This is not a new idea, but many districts are adding twists that reap funding benefits for them and their business partners. For example, by offering to pilot or beta-test a service or program or to participate in a research project, districts can often build in permanent discounts for the future. Or, they can receive slightly used product donations following major activities including conferences, sporting events, etc.

Source: Technology & Learning

What are the keys to writing a winning proposal? Gwen Solomon lets us in on a few tips with his "Deconstruct a Grant" article at; http://techlearning.com/db_area/archives/TL/200106/deconstruct.htm

And to browse and create your own search for grants, contests and other funding opportunities you may want to check out: http://techlearning.com/resources/grants.jhtml

Putting Content in the Context of Students’ Everyday Life

2006-06-26T11:11:00.000-04:00

Gil Klein from the Richmond Times Dispatch says, “The latest in cool for schools is iPods”, and boy does he have that right. Educators, led by student excitement and their own creativity for using every available tool to accelerate learning, are sharing ideas on how iPod technology can produce positive learning results. Read about how teachers are using this interactive device to put content in the context of their students’ lives in and outside the classroom. Richmond Times Dispatch Article

Last week, principals from Leon County Schools in Tallahassee, Florida may have been the first administrators in the nation to receive training on the powerful uses of iPods for instruction. They discovered the teaching power of the same device they have been telling students to turn off in class. Adriane Peters, Instructional Technology Director said, “ We got administrators hooked on a cutting edge technology for learning, this will have a trickle down effect on our teaching staff.”

The principals will practice on their new tool over the summer and present ideas to their staff in the fall.